Bear Hazard Assessment Report , Bear Smart Community Program, Phase I

November 2007

Prepared for City of Port Alberni 4850 Argyle Street Port Alberni BC V9Y 1V8 Phone: 250-720-2810 [email protected] Prepared by Maggie M. Paquet 5232A Margaret Street Port Alberni, BC V9Y 6J2 Phone: 250-723-8802 [email protected] Acknowledgements

The writer received input and assistance from District Conservation Officer Ben York and CO Mike Stern, particularly with respect to obtaining data on bear-people conflicts in and surrounding the City of Port Alberni. Thanks to Ben and Mike, too, for their support in making presentations to the Port Alberni City Council on the status of bear-people conflicts in the city. The writer also thanks Port Alberni Mayor and City Councillors for approving the application to the Conservation Officer Service, Bear Smart Community Program for the funding for this report. City Clerk Russell Dyson was most helpful in the administration of this project. Cara Foden, Planning Technician in the Planning Department, was generous with her time and expertise in providing me with city maps; I am grateful for her heroic efforts to produce the bear-sightings maps contained in this report. Other city staff and school district employees also contributed to the report. Many thanks go to Greg Freethy at ADSS, and two student assistants, Kristy Aikman and Marinka Kurucz, for helping me map the bear-people conflict reports. I would also like to thank a handful of Port Alberni residents who freely contributed their stories about their experiences with bears (even when some of those calls came in the middle of the night!). I’d also like to thank Bear Smart Communities Coordinator Mike Badry of the BC Ministry of Environment, Wildlife Branch, who provided information and advice. I would like to acknowledge the expertise and advice contained in the report: “Bear Smart” Community Program: Background Report, by Helen Davis, Debbie Wellwood, and Lana Ciarniello; and in the report Hazard Assessment of Bear-Human Conflict in Stewart, British Columbia—Phase 1, by Debbie Wellwood, RPBio, Raven Ecological Services, Smithers, BC. As well, the MSc Thesis of Helen Davis, Characteristics and Selection of Winter Dens by Black Bears in Coastal British Columbia, 1996, also informed this report. Ms. Davis’ thesis offered considerable insight into the behaviours and habitat requirements of black bears on , which are a subspecies of North American black bears distinct from the subspecies found on mainland BC. Bear biologist Wayne McCrory (RPBio), of McCrory Wildlife Services, New Denver, BC, continues to mentor my work in this field. For his advice, assistance, and moral support, I am truly grateful. Sean Sharpe, RPBio, of the BC Environment Ministry, Prince George, also continues to review my work and offer advice and support, for which I thank him from the bottom of my heart. Most of the photos in this report are by the writer. Others were borrowed from other reports with permission from the Bear Aware Coordinator (Lions Bay-Norma Rodgers and Lawrence Ruskin, Coquitlam-Drake Stephens, Squamish-Kris Hopping, Sunshine Coast-John Kelly and Lisa Waldie). Maggie Paquet, Port Alberni, BC

Disclaimer Maggie Paquet gathered the research and prepared this document. It has been done in accordance with the BC Bear Smart Community Program guidelines for a bear hazard assessment. While it contains the best possible information available for the City of Port Alberni, no liability is assumed with respect to the use and application of the information contained herein.

Cover photos: View up Argyle Street from Harbour Quay, Credit: M Paquet. Inset: Crepuscular (at dusk or early dawn) behaviour of local bear, Credit: Emma Colyn.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...... ii Summary ...... v Priority Recommendations ...... vii Introduction To The Bear Smart Community Program Criteria For Communities...... 1 A Two-Phase Process...... 1 Goals of the Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment...... 3 Bear-Human Interaction Definitions ...... 4 The Bear Hazard Assessment: Bear Smart Status Review for City of Port Alberni 1.0 STUDY AREA ...... 5 1.1 Port Alberni Background and History ...... 5 1.2 Ecological Description of Study Area ...... 7 1.2.1 Coast & Mountains Ecoprovince—Western Vancouver Island Ecoregion, Windward Island Mountains Ecosection ...... 7 1.2.2 Georgia Depression Ecoprovince—Eastern Vancouver Island Ecoregion,7 Leeward Island Mountains Ecosection...... 7 1.2.3 Biogeoclimatic Zone Classifications in the Study Area ...... 7 1.3 Regional, Provincial, National, and International Contexts ...... 10 2.0 STUDY APPROACH AND METHODS...... 11 2.1 Study Approach ...... 11 2.2 Methods ...... 11 2.2.1 Descriptions of assessment and evaluation methods ...... 13 2.2.2 Problem analysis methods ...... 14 3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION...... 14 3.1 Ecology of Black Bears ...... 14 3.2 Data Limitations ...... 17 3.3 Habitats and General Distribution of Bear Attractants in City of Port Alberni...... 18 3.3.1 Bear plant foods found in the study area ...... 19 3.3.2 Natural vs non-natural attractants...... 21 3.4 Reports of Complaints to Conservation Officer Service ...... 22 3.4.1 Complaints by neighbourhood hotspots and attractant...... 27 3.4.2 Patterns and trends revealed by the data...... 29 3.4.3 Complaints in prior years...... 30 3.5 Specific Hazards and Potential Risks (Hazard Ratings) ...... 30 3.5.1 Surveys of parks ...... 30 3.5.2 Surveys of schools ...... 41 3.5.3 Surveys of select residential and commercial locations ...... 47 3.5.4 Survey at Ahahswinis, Hupacasath First Nation Reserve...... 54 3.6 Discussion of Public Information and Education Activities...... 55 3.7 Discussion of Waste Management Practices ...... 56 3.8 Discussion of Bylaws ...... 59 3.9 Discussion of Official Community Plan and Development Policies ...... 59 4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 60 5.0 CONCLUSION ...... 64 6.0 EXPLANATORY NOTES...... 66 6.1 Ecosystem Classification Systems...... 66 6.2 Waste Management Companies and Equipment ...... 68

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 iii 7.0 LIST OF CONTACTS ...... 73 8.0 LITERATURE CITED AND REFERENCES...... 74 APPENDICES 1. BC government press release & backgrounder, 24 June 2002 2. Applicable sections of BC’s Wildlife Act 3. Regional and local context maps (including some parks, trails, land uses, vegetation, etc.) 4. List of potential foods (natural attractants) for black bears in the South Coast Mountains 5. Dangerous encounter profile 6. List of plants used in landscaping that attract black bears (non-natural attractants) 7. Pamphlet on the ecology of bears and samples of research on bears in fish/forest ecosystems 8. Samples of public education materials used, including media articles 9. Checklist of Bear Smart activities for Port Alberni (proposed) 10. Samples of information from waste management equipment companies 11. Solid Waste Collection and Disposal Bylaw #4392 (Port Alberni) 12. Two models of waste management bylaws: Canmore, Alberta and Vail, Colorado 13. Excerpts from proposed ACRD Solid Waste Management Plan (Sept 2007 Draft) 14. Excerpts from Port Alberni Official Community Plan LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Area map showing location of Port Alberni...... 5 Figure 2. Map of Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District...... 6 Figure 3. Aerial view (Google Earth) of Port Alberni and surrounding area ...... 8 Figure 4. Port Alberni Bear Attractants 2004...... 23 Figure 5. Port Alberni Bear Attractants 2005...... 24 Figure 6. Port Alberni Bear Attractants 2006...... 25 Figure 7. Comparison of Bear-People Conflict Activity 2004-2006...... 29 Figure 8. Port Alberni city map of bear-people conflicts 2004 ...... after page 29 Figure 9. Port Alberni city map of bear-people conflicts 2005 ...... after page 29 Figure 10. Port Alberni city map of bear-people conflicts 2006 ...... after page 29 Figure 11. Multiplex/Echo Park recreation complex...... 31 Figure 12. Map of Log Train Trail (a regional trail) ...... 37 Figure 13. BC Provincial parks in the Alberni area...... 38 Figure 14. Map of McLean Mill National Historic Site ...... 40 Figure 15. Ministry of Forests map of Biogeoclimatic Zones of BC ...... 67 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Naturally occurring (wild) and planted (landscape use) bear foods in study area...... 19 Table 2. Analysis of complaints and attractants for 2004...... 23 Table 3. Analysis of complaints and attractants for 2005...... 24 Table 4. Analysis of complaints and attractants for 2006...... 25 Table 5. Comparison of bear-people conflict activity for 2004-2007 ...... 26 Table 6. Comparison of totals in categories of complaints & attractants for 2004-2006 ...... 26 Table 7. Hotspot neighbourhoods for years 2004-2006 ...... 27 Table 8. Hazard survey of Port Alberni city parks ...... 32 Table 9. Hazard survey of schools in Port Alberni (School District #70) ...... 41 Table 10. Hazard survey of other areas (housing developments, greenbelt areas, etc.) ...... 47 Table 11. Hazard survey of select industrial and commercial areas...... 51 Table 12. Summary information on waste management equipment and companies...... 57

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 iv SUMMARY The City of Port Alberni expressed interest in reducing conflicts between bears and people in the city, and to increasing safety for residents. The city commissioned this bear hazard assessment to determine how to achieve that goal. This report represents the city’s first step in becoming a Bear Smart Community and is the foundation for a future Bear-People Conflict Management Plan for Port Alberni. The report describes the province’s Bear Smart Community Program, how this assessment was conducted, the ecosystem conditions in which the city is situated that predisposes it to conflicts between people and bears, the number and types of bear-people conflicts over various annual periods, and explains the need for an ongoing public education and bear-human conflict monitoring program. The ecology and behaviour of black bears are briefly described so readers can understand some of the basic reasons people and bears come into conflict with each other in this study area. Port Alberni is located in the central part of Vancouver Island at the head of Alberni Inlet, a roughly 60- km fjord trending northerly from the Pacific Ocean. The city is bordered on the west by the Inlet and the Somass River, and on the north, east, and south by forests and mountains. It is dissected by at least four fish-bearing creeks (Ship, Dry, Roger, and Kitsuksis) and smaller tributary creeks (Owatchet, Treehouse, Weaver, and Lugrin), some of which are fish-bearing at various times of year. The area has been inhabited by First Nations people for thousands of years, and by European, then Asian, settlers for the past about 150 years. A natural deep-sea port and dense coastal forests, along with once-rich fisheries and marine resources, historically provided ample habitats for both people and wildlife, including deer, elk, cougars, and black bears. Juxtaposed in an ecological transition zone between the wet Pacific coast and the dry conditions along the Strait of Georgia, and couched in a valley among the Inland Vancouver Island mountains along with the Somass-Stamp river system, Sproat and Great Central lakes, and the marine environment of the Inlet, the Alberni Valley is an exceptionally diverse ecosystem that contains prime black bear habitat. As well as the creeks, there are ravines, roads, and hydro and railroad rights-of-way that provide natural and man-made travel routes to enable access for bears into and throughout the city. When the residential, industrial, recreational, and commercial uses of the area are superimposed onto the natural habitats, there is high potential for conflicts between people and bears. Like most areas in southwestern British Columbia, the Alberni region is currently experiencing extensive residential development and industrial logging activities. Together, these are having effects on regional wildlife populations and their habitats. In recent years, bears have moved into settled areas in higher numbers than in the past. A city resident1 stated that she has lived at the interface between the city and the forest all her life and rarely saw a bear. She said it’s only been in the last half-dozen years that she now sees bears fairly often and has noticed problems with them getting into people’s garbage and fruit trees. Other long-time residents corroborate this comment. The increasing amounts of wildlife habitat loss and alienation due to urban and industrial development, as well as increased disturbance from recreational and tourism activities throughout the entire region has created an expanded interface between settled and previously wild areas and is resulting in an increased number of interactions between people and black bears. In order to determine what actions the city needs to undertake to reduce bear-people conflicts, a thorough review of the province’s bear complaint database (which details complaints from city residents to the Wildlife Call Centre in Victoria) was conducted. This research revealed that for the size of the city, Port Alberni residents report a high number of complaints. The years 2004-2005 saw a dramatic increase in these numbers, and a comparatively high number of bears were translocated or destroyed, particularly in 2005 and 2006. So far in 2007, this trend has continued.

1 Rita LaJeunesse, pers. comm., Aug 2007.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 v The report describes the city’s waste management system and bylaws regarding garbage and the landfill (which are shared with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District) in relation to how they may or may not help to restrict access to garbage and other attractants by bears. The regional district is currently engaged in a review of solid waste management; new bylaws and equipment are anticipated to be in place in the near future that will significantly reduce access to garbage by bears. The report discusses the potential risks and hazards at schools and parks in the city. It presents a review of the city’s Official Community Plan and development policies in the context of how these may or may not enable community members and local businesses to be Bear Smart. Finally, the report lists a number of recommendations on how the City of Port Alberni can reduce conflicts between people and black bears, reduce property damage, increase safety for city residents, and become a Bear Smart community. In 2004, Alberni area residents made 410 calls to the provincial Wildlife Call Centre. In 2005 and 2006, they made 505 and 381 calls, respectively. So far in 2007, over 330 calls have been made by mid- October, with the prospect that the final number for 2007 will be greater than in 2006. Considering that the number of calls represents only about 25 to 30 percent of the actual interactions people have with black bears, these numbers indicate there are well over 1,000 incidents in any given year that are not reported. This means that city residents experience a lot of “unease” about bears. In 2006, Conservation Officers had to destroy 12 black bears. For all years, the majority of bears were destroyed or moved because they were attracted to people’s homes or commercial areas primarily by garbage, and, to a lesser extent, by fruit trees and gardens (mostly grapes). 2 In addition to bears destroyed by the COs, some residents, mostly in rural areas, shot bears they felt were a threat to their safety, pets, or livestock. There was also a disturbingly high number of reports of injured bears and orphaned cubs sighted (50 reports for 2004-2006). Currently, Port Alberni has no volunteer group focused on bear-people conflicts or ongoing monitoring activities (as there are in Whistler, Squamish, Lions Bay, the North Shore, and many other locations in the province). This is not to say, however, that there is no public interest in the issue. The writer has received numerous phone calls and emails from city residents and local media to request information and advice about “problems” with bears. As an indication of the growing concern about bears, in 2007, the regional district allocated funds to the BC Conservation Corps to enable Crystal McMillan, Bear Aware Program Supervisor for Vancouver Island & Lower Mainland, to extend delivery of the Bear Aware Program to Port Alberni. Details on this are described in section 3.6. Using information from the CO Service database, the interactions between bears and city residents were mapped. Locations assessed include school grounds; city parks; residential, commercial, and industrial areas; and known bear movement corridors (largely along streams, trails, and ravines). The types of complaints reported include property damage, strewing garbage around, damage to fruit trees and gardens, getting into compost, and just plain scaring people so they don’t feel safe. Analysing this complaint data revealed that the primary attractant—by far, and in every neighbourhood and throughout every season—was garbage, both residential and commercial. The next most common attractants were found to be fruit trees, gardens and composts, birdfeeders, and, to a far lesser extent than expected, wild berries (e.g., Armenian blackberry and salmonberry). A significant percentage of property damage was reported (7% to 12% of all reports in each year; mostly to fences, sheds, and loss of livestock). Generally, people expressed strong concerns for their own and their children’s safety. Misinterpretation of bear behaviour (interpreting it as aggressive rather than more correctly as defensive) was common. All this shows the need for wider understanding of bears—their ecology and behaviours—in order to increase people’s understanding of why they are having conflicts with bears, to increase their tolerance for bears and their feeling of safety, and to significantly reduce property damage and attracting bears to residential and commercial areas within the city.

2 MOE, CO Service data. Information on translocation and destruction of bears was severely limited (scant) over the study period. There may have been more bears moved and destroyed than available records indicate.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 vi School staff throughout the city showed a good general knowledge of the relationship between garbage and the occurrence of bears on school grounds, although there is room for improvement at some of them when it comes to putting this knowledge into practice. City parks were assessed and assigned hazard ratings, as were randomly sampled residential, commercial, and industrial sites. Nearby national, provincial, and regional parks and trails, while not assessed, are described in the context of presence of bear habitat and safety considerations. Reviewing a local government’s vision statements for its parks and recreation facilities, its bylaws, its strategic and official community plans, and development or zoning policies is an important aspect of all bear hazard assessments. What is required is evidence that these show an awareness of and consideration for the behaviours and ecological requirements of bears and the need to maintain safe distances between people and bear use areas. Neither Port Alberni’s Strategic Plan and OCP, nor any of its vision statements, bylaws, or development/zoning policy statements currently contain language about restricting bears’ access to non-natural attractants (including garbage and landscape plantings), environmental considerations specifically relevant to bears, the ways bears use habitats, or how development practices can be designed to minimise the potential for bear-people conflicts. The regional district’s proposed Solid Waste Management Plan does recognise this need, however, and when it is implemented, will cover the city. What remains to be done is to include some specific Bear Smart language and practices in the city’s bylaws, OCP, and other planning documents and policies. The Ahahswinis Reserve of the Hupacasath First Nation, while a separate jurisdiction, is within the boundary of Port Alberni. With permission, this area is included in this bear hazard assessment. The recommendations listed at the end of this report are intended to assist the city in reducing bear- people conflicts over time. Phasing-in the recommendations over a five-year period allows for better understanding and compliance by the public, helps keep costs affordable, and allows for modifications to suit local conditions. Summary Recommendations A full list of recommendations is given in section 4. The following are those the author feels should be instituted as soon as possible in order to effect an immediate reduction of bear-people conflicts.

Amend the waste management bylaw so residential garbage bins can only be put out on the morning of collection day, and require these bins to be bear-proof. Enforce the bylaw. Conduct a detailed habitat assessment specifically to inform the OCP and other development plans in order to minimise the potential to result in additional conflicts with bears in new development areas. Amend the OCP to include language indicating the City’s intention to consider bear habitat and travel corridors in development permits to help minimise the potential for bear-people conflicts. Install bear-proof garbage bins in public places, including in city parks and at minimal, but strategic, locations along walkways and trails. Enact bylaws that require housing complexes, schools, institutions, and businesses (e.g., delis, restaurants, grocery stores) to use only bear-proof garbage bins and dumpsters, or to place existing bins and dumpsters (and grease bins) inside secure bear-proof enclosures. Enact bylaws that require all new housing, commercial, and industrial developments within the city to “build in” bear-proof waste management practices and equipment at the time of development. Enact bylaws that require industrial businesses (e.g., fish plants, sawmills, the paper mill) to install and maintain bear-proof fencing around their dumpsters, and perimeters where necessary, including bear-proof gates that are kept securely closed.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 vii Increase informational signage about bears in parks and trails, including temporary signage when bears have been sighted in a particular location. Engage in public consultation to find effective ways to prevent conflicts between bears and people. Establish a dedicated ongoing public education and bear-people conflict monitoring program that includes direct liaison with the area’s Conservation Officers and RCMP. Harmonise Bear Smart practices with adjacent ACRD electoral areas so efforts in Port Alberni are not defeated by lack of effort outside its immediate boundary. Commission a Bear-People Conflict Management Plan (according to the requirements stated in the BC Bear Smart Community Program) for staged implementation over a 3- to 5-year period.

By agreement, the deliverables of this Bear Hazard Assessment are: 1. Local and regional context maps that show habitats potentially suitable for use by bears, and that indicate likely bear movement corridors in and surrounding Port Alberni (e.g., rivers and creeks). 2. City maps that identify locations of bear-people conflicts based on Wildlife Occurrence Reports from the CO Service. These will indicate the neighbourhoods that pose varying degrees of risk for conflicts with bears, and are accompanied (within the body of the report) with an analysis of the data and a discussion of the patterns of bear-human interactions in Port Alberni. 3. Discussion of current and potential bear hazards at high human use areas (parks, schools, etc.). 4. Reviews of public education activities to reduce bear-human conflicts, bylaws governing waste management practices, and the City’s Official Community Plan and development policies. 5. Recommendations for reducing the potential for bear-human interactions and increasing the safety for people and property throughout the city. These recommendations, along with the information contained in the report, will form the basis of a Bear-People Conflict Management Plan for the City of Port Alberni, which is Phase II of the Bear Smart Community Program. This report fulfils the BC Environment ministry’s requirements for Phase I of the Bear Smart Community Program and conforms to the ministry’s standards for future achievement of Bear Smart Community status for the City of Port Alberni, BC. Copies have been provided to the following: Russell Dyson, City Clerk Mike Badry, Wildlife Conflict Prevention Coord. City of Port Alberni BC Ministry of Environment 4850 Argyle Street PO Box 9376, Station Prov. Gov. Port Alberni, BC V9Y 1V8 Victoria, BC V8W 9M5 Ph: 250-720-2810 Ph: 250-387-9793 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Ben York, District Conservation Officer Lance Sundquist, Enforcement Manager BC Conservation Officer Service BC Ministry of Environment 4885 Cherry Creek Road 2080 Labieux Street Port Alberni, BC V9Y 8E9 Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J9 Ph: 250-731-3082 Ph: 250-751-3119 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Data was collected under a research agreement between the writer and the BC Ministry of Environment. All personal information (including names, specific addresses, contact information) was removed from individual complaint reports and the locations were generalised to the 100-block of a street. Upon finalising the report, all data were deleted from the writer’s computer and paper copies were shredded.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 viii Introduction to the Bear Smart Program

Bear Smart is a community-based program announced in 20023 to reduce conflicts between people and bears, and to increase safety for people. It is sponsored by a partnership of the BC Water, Land & Air Protection (now Environment) ministry, Union of BC Municipalities, and BC Conservation Foundation. Every year in British Columbia over 1000 black bears and 50 grizzly bears are destroyed because of real and perceived threats to people and property. As our province becomes more settled, and with increasing and more widespread access to backcountry and wilderness areas, these numbers continue to increase. If we do nothing, we cannot achieve sustainable management of wildlife. At one time, we assumed bear-human conflicts occurred because of “problem” bears; that the bears themselves were responsible. Today, we know that conflicts are primarily due to our own behaviours. We’ve learned that “the natural ecology of the bear plays only a small role in the development of problems.”4 The larger role is played by people and, therefore, the solution needs to come from us. In past years, government policy for managing bear-human conflict has been to trap and move a “problem” bear to another area, or simply to destroy it. This is a reactive approach because it attempts to manage a problem after it has developed and doesn’t serve either bears or the public very effectively. It costs over a million dollars a year for conservation officers to respond to the thousands of calls, takes time away from their many other responsibilities, and often results in needless destruction of bears. In recent years, public education has been recognised as a more effective means of reducing conflicts between bears and people. New policy acknowledges the need for a proactive approach. The Bear Smart Community program is proactive because it seeks to prevent problems. It guides communities toward a safer and more sustainable way for people and bears to co-exist. It does this through a variety of activities, principally by focusing on public education about bears and on how people can prevent conflicts with bears, largely by removing non-natural attractants from communities. It is also an incentive for municipalities to adopt more sustainable waste management practices. CRITERIA FOR COMMUNITIES The government program requires communities to meet the following six criteria in order to be designated Bear Smart: 1. Prepare a bear hazard assessment of the community and surrounding area. 2. Prepare a management plan based on the bear hazards and land-use conflicts identified in #1. 3. Revise planning and decision-making documents to be consistent with the management plan. 4. Implement a continuing education program directed at all sectors of the community. 5. Develop and maintain a bear-proof municipal solid waste management system. 6. Implement Bear Smart bylaws that prohibit the provision of food to bears as a result of intent, neglect, or irresponsible management of attractants. A TWO-PHASE PROCESS Achieving Bear Smart Community status is a two-phase process. In Phase I, the sources of potential bear-human conflicts in the community are identified and mapped. This involves identifying natural and non-natural attractants and showing where in the community they occur; identifying locations in the community where there is potential for conflicts, mapping those, and assigning a risk level.

3 See ministry Press Release and Backgrounder dated June 24, 2002 in Appendix 1. 4 Davis, H.; D. Wellwood; and L. Ciarniello. 2002. “Bear Smart” Community Program: Background Report. BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. Victoria. p. 1.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 1 Phase I also requires that communities be actively engaged in educating the public about the causes of bear-human conflicts and how to reduce their numbers. The Bear Smart Community program is designed to be adaptive so that new management options or improvements can be incorporated into each step. Criteria for each step in the process are provided so that communities have clearly defined and achievable targets.

Bear Aware Coordinator in Coquitlam delivering a public education program in a city park. City employees were also present to discuss waste management bylaws and programs. M. Paquet photo

The background report for the Bear Smart Communities program,5 which is basically a handbook for it, explains the requirements for Bear Smart Community status. Phase I, it says, is the Problem Analysis phase and has these seven components: 1. conduct preliminary bear hazard assessment 2. review bear-human education programs 3. design bear-human conflict monitoring system 4. review waste management system 5. review waste management bylaw 6. create a green space management strategy 7. review community planning strategy

Phase II focuses on the Bear-Human Conflict Management Plan and has these six components: 1. implement bear-human conflict monitoring system 2. implement education program 3. implement bear-proof waste management system 4. implement and enforce Bear Smart bylaws 5. revise the Official Community Plan and Regional Growth Strategy to be consistent with the Bear-Human Conflict Management Plan 6. implement green space management program

This report documents the current conditions and activities being undertaken in Port Alberni in relation to Phase I of the Bear Smart Community program.

5 Ibid. Davis, et al. p. 16.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 2 GOALS OF THE PORT ALBERNI BEAR HAZARD ASSESSMENT A bear hazard assessment assesses bear habitat and bear-people complaints in a given geographic area, analyses the information, then proposes recommendations to enable communities to become “Bear Smart.” The primary objectives of the Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment are to reduce the number of bear-people conflicts in the city and support the city’s application for Bear Smart Community status. This report shows how Port Alberni can meet the criteria for Phase I of the program. It details activities and conditions within the city that contribute to the preventable causes of bear-human conflict and that indicate measures the city can adopt in order to reduce conflicts. The ultimate goals are to ensure the safety of people and protection of property, and to reduce the number of bears that are destroyed. This report contains the following information: 1. Discussion of information relating to natural and non-natural attractants in and near the city, and that identifies the following: • general bear habitat suitability within and adjacent to the city, known movements of bears in the area (including travel corridors), and visibility and other sensory issues; • human-use areas that have high risk for conflict with bears, such as schools, playgrounds, residential areas located in or adjacent to bear habitat, parks and trails that pass through higher- quality bear habitats (e.g., creeks, berry patches), and residential, commercial, and industrial areas along the waterfront at the top of the Inlet (or the Somass estuary); • major features that may influence the travel patterns of bears, including riparian areas, roads, community edges, hydro or railway rights-of-way, and security cover/green space; • residential and commercial garbage management, including in parks and public places; • regional issues that may affect the success of a Port Alberni Bear Smart Community program, for example, the connectivity between the city and the forests and rural areas surrounding it.

2. A review of patterns of bear-human conflicts based on discussions with the district Conservation Officer, and on data from the Problem Wildlife Occurrence Reports recorded at the Call Centre for the Conservation Officer Service. This includes a discussion of: • sites, areas, and trails that are considered high risk for bear-human conflict, • practices that are considered high risk for bear-human conflict, and • potential data limitations

In their background report, Davis et al.6 state that to understand how “problem bears” develop, we need to know the biological needs of bears, their behaviours, and how they learn. In other words, the public needs to learn more about bear ecology if it is to learn how to reduce the causes of bear-human conflict and, in the process, increase the degree of safety for themselves and their property, and for the bears themselves. Therefore, this report also contains a section on bear ecology and behaviours, and on the importance of bears to the health of coastal salmon-forest ecosystems. This report will show how the city of Port Alberni can help its residents reduce the risks associated with living in “bear country,” and at the same time preserve the natural environment in which the city is situated, and which is considered one of its major assets.

6 Ibid. p. 4.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 3 BEAR-HUMAN INTERACTION DEFINITIONS7 The following definitions apply to terms used to describe bear-human interactions: Aggressive behaviour Defensive: Defensive aggression is usually provoked and results in the bear swatting, charging, etc. when approached too closely. Offensive: Offensive aggression is usually initiated by the bear as attempted predation, tearing tents without food attractants, etc.8 Bear-human interaction Any of the various activities and their effects involving bears and humans, including sightings, encounters, and incidents. Displacement Encounters where the bear is displaced and runs or walks away. Encounter When a bear is aware of human presence, regardless of whether or not the humans are aware of the bear; the bear may ignore people (because they are habituated to people), or they may approach people. Food-conditioned Bears that have been rewarded or positively reinforced with non-natural foods, such as human food or garbage, and as a result have learned to associate humans and/or human developments with the potential to obtain food. Bears that are both human-habituated (see below) and food-conditioned generally pose a serious threat to human safety. As a result, these bears are frequently killed (Herrero 1985, Ciarniello 1997). Human-habituation The reduction or absence of an avoidance or fear response that a bear can learn from neutral inter-actions with people and that are not threatening, painful, or injurious (to the bear). Bears can be human-habituated without being food-conditioned. Incident or conflict The most serious bear-human interaction. An interaction is considered an incident or conflict when any of the following occur: a) physical contact between a person and a bear b) damage to or loss of property or food c) high intensity charge by a bear toward people d) people have to take extreme evasive action in response to a bear e) people use a deterrent on a bear f) a bear is translocated or destroyed Non-natural foods Foods made available to bears by people and that are either not natural in a bear’s diet or have been taken out of a natural/wild context and placed in a settled area (such as some tree or shrub species that people use for landscaping purposes, in a backyard garden, agricultural setting, etc.). Observation When a human sees a bear but the bear is unaware of the human.

7 Most of these definitions come from the following publication: Wellwood, Debbie. 2001. Hazard Assessment of Bear-Human Conflict in Stewart, British Columbia—Phase 1, Raven Ecological Services, Smithers, BC; p. 7; others have been adapted from general research and information from Wayne McCrory, RPBio. 8 BC Ministry of Environment. Dec 2002. Third Ed. Bear-People Conflict Prevention Plan for Parks and Protected Areas in British Columbia. Victoria, BC; pp. 73.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 4 1.0 STUDY AREA

1.1 Port Alberni Background and History 9 10 11 The City of Port Alberni (2,185 ha) is located in the central area of Vancouver Island at the head of Alberni Inlet (a roughly 60-km long fjord trending northerly from the Pacific Ocean at Barkley Sound), and on the east side of the Somass River and its estuary. The region is named after Don Pedro de Alberni, a Spanish officer who commanded a fort on Vancouver Island's west coast in the 1790s. The city was incorporated in 1912 with the arrival of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway. In 1967, Port Alberni amalgamated with the adjacent town of Alberni (to the north). In addition to the major influence of the Somass-Stamp River system, the city is dissected by major east-west trending creeks (evident in Figure 1 below) running from the heights of the Beaufort Range and Mt. Arrowsmith to the estuary. Today, the city’s population is about 18,000.

BEAVER CREEK

KLEECOOT

SPROAT LAKE CHERRY CREEK

ALBERNI

PORT ALBERNI ARROWVIEW HEIGHTS

CAMERON HEIGHTS

Figure 1. Area map showing location of Port Alberni (the grey area inside the red ellipsis). Source: http://www.shim.bc.ca/

Port Alberni is situated in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD), a geographically diverse area that encompasses 897,000 hectares (see map on next page). The area contains the traditional territories of ten of the 14 Nuu-chah-nulth nations (including two adjacent to the City of Port Alberni), a number of provincial and national parks, a national historic site, and a number of remote backcountry trails. Covered with mountains, large and small lakes, numerous salmon-bearing rivers and creeks, as well as important and large marine areas, the habitats throughout the ACRD can be considered to contain moderate to prime black bear habitats. The regional district has overall responsibility for waste management in the region, and manages two landfills. The city of Port Alberni, however, conducts residential garbage collection and, together with the regional district, is developing a recycling program. Recycling depots are located in the city and at the landfill. Currently, the ACRD is undergoing a major overhaul of its Solid Waste Management Plan (see sections 3.7 and 3.8, and Appendixes 11-14). Commercial and industrial garbage pickup is done under contracts with private companies.

9 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Alberni,_British_Columbia 10 Alberni Valley Museum. 1984. Port Alberni’s Industrial Waterfront Heritage: A Survey. 11 http://portalbernimyhome.bc.ca/history.html

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 5 Figure 2. Map of Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. Source: ACRD, courtesy of Lori Wilson, Mapping Technician

For thousands of years, the only inhabitants were of the Nuu-chah-nulth aboriginal culture, a rich culture that reflects the region’s ecological diversity and abundance. The first Europeans arrived in the mid-1800s. In 1860, Edward Stamp built the first sawmill in BC. Within three years, all the trees within three miles of the mill had been cut and the town abandoned. But Europeans were here to stay. By the 1880s, farmers had settled at Beaver Creek, McCoy Lake, Cherry Creek, and elsewhere in the Somass River valley. A paper mill was built on the Somass River in 1892. By 1896, the harbour was reoccupied due to a small gold rush near China Creek. By 1912, the E & N Railway had come to town, the Canadian National Railway was on its way, and mills were making lumber and shingles. Canneries, herring salteries, wharves and docks, and blacksmiths followed.12 By the mid-20th century, Port Alberni had become an industrial town focused on logging and wood and paper products, but also fishing and fish-processing, a deep sea port, gold mining,13 and was a centre for government and other services in central Vancouver Island. Today, Port Alberni’s geographical position as the “Gateway to the Pacific Rim” is giving it the impetus to reinvent itself as an all-season tourism destination for cultural and outdoor recreation. Falls on Kitsuksis Creek show high tourism potential on area trails. Photo: H. Carlson

12 Alberni Valley Museum. 1984. Ibid. 13 http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/DL/ARISReports/27691.pdf

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 6 1.2 Ecological Description of Study Area Ecologically, the Alberni region is situated in a transition zone that contains characteristics of two ecoprovinces: Coast and Mountains Ecoprovince and the Georgian Depression Ecoprovince. Transition zones are generally more ecologically diverse than surrounding areas. On a more local scale, Port Alberni is also in a transition zone with characteristics of the ecoregions and ecosections described below. These descriptions are found in the Ecoregion Classification System.14 Vegetation in the Port Alberni area falls primarily into variations within the Coastal Western Hemlock and Mountain Hemlock biogeoclimatic zones. The Alpine Tundra biogeoclimatic zone occurs at the very top of the highest mountains surrounding the Alberni Valley (e.g., Mt. Arrowsmith, Mt. Klitsa).15 1.2.1 Coast and Mountains Ecoprovince—Western Vancouver Island Ecoregion, Windward Island Mountains Ecosection16 The Coast and Mountains Ecoprovince extends from coastal Alaska to coastal Oregon. In BC, it includes the windward side of the Coast Mountains and Vancouver Island. It consists of the large coastal mountains, a broad coastal trough and associated lowlands, islands, and continental shelf, as well as the insular mountains on Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands archipelago. It features a moist climate influenced largely by frontal systems coming in from the Pacific Ocean. The Western Vancouver Island Ecoregion includes the western lowlands, islands, and mountains of Vancouver Island. The Windward Island Mountains Ecosection is the area of lowlands, islands, and mountains on the western margin of Vancouver Island. 1.2.2 Georgian Depression Ecoprovince—Eastern Vancouver Island Ecoregion, Leeward Island Mountains Ecosection The Georgian Depression Ecoprovince lies between the Vancouver Island Mountains and the southern Coast Mountains. It is a large basin containing the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound. In BC, the basin encompasses the southeastern Vancouver Island Mountains and the Nanaimo Lowlands in the west, the Strait of Georgia and Gulf Islands in the middle, and the Georgia Lowlands and Fraser Lowlands in the east. Its climate is somewhat drier than that of the Coast and Mountains Ecoprovince. The Eastern Vancouver Island Ecoregion is an area of reduced rainfall leeward of the Vancouver Island Ranges. The Leeward Island Mountains Ecosection is a mountainous area from the crest of the Vancouver Island Ranges to the Nanaimo Lowlands. 1.2.3 Biogeoclimatic Zone Classifications in the Study Area Vegetation in the Coast and Mountains Ecoprovince is dominated by the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) and Mountain Hemlock (MH) biogeoclimatic zones. In the Georgian Depression Ecoprovince, vegetation is dominated by the CWH, MH, and Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) biogeoclimatic zones. The Alpine Tundra (AT) biogeoclimatic zone occurs at the tops of the mountains in both ecoprovinces, although there is no AT or MH within the boundary of the study area; rather, Port Alberni contains characteristics of both the CWH and CDF zones.

14 See section 6.1 for a more full description of the Ecoregion Classification System, adopted by the Wildlife Branch, and the Biogeoclimatic zone system that is in use by the Ministry of Forests. 15 See section 6.1. 16 Environment Canada, State of Environment Reporting: http://www.ecoinfo.ec.gc.ca/ecozones/ecozones_e.cfm and http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/vignettes/Terrestrial/pm/default.cfm

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 7 Figure 3. Aerial view of Port Alberni and area. The yellow line going east to west is Hwy 4. Source: www.GoogleEarth.com.

Coastal Western Hemlock Biogeoclimatic Zone17 The Coastal Western Hemlock (CWH) biogeoclimatic zone occurs at low to middle elevations (from sea level to about 900 m in the south) on the west side of the Coast Mountains. Western hemlock is the most common tree, although Douglas-fir, grand fir, western redcedar, Sitka spruce, western white pine, and bigleaf and vine maples are widespread throughout the warmer, drier southern portion of this zone. Red alder is common on logged sites, and yellow cedar occurs in higher, wetter sites. Typical understorey plants include a variety of blueberry and huckleberry species (Vaccinium spp.), salal, salmonberry, wild currants, red-osier dogwood, red elderberry, Oregon grape, bunchberry, twinflower, trailing and other native and introduced blackberry species, Devil’s club, Pacific crabapple, bearberry, and kinnikinnick. All are important bear foods. There are also skunk cabbage and various grasses, sedges, rushes, horsetails, and fungi that are used by bears in different habitats and seasons. Black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, black bears, grizzly bears (not found on Vancouver Island), cougars, and grey wolf (possibly a distinct Vancouver Island subspecies) are the most common large mammals in this zone. After logging, abundant regrowth provides lush forage for many species, including black bears, but only for the first 20 or so years after logging. Retention of old-growth structures (large diameter old trees) are still needed to provide natural denning sites for bears.18

17 BC Ministry of Forests. 1991. Special Report Series 6: Ecosystems of British Columbia. Chapter 6. Coastal Western Hemlock Zone. J. Pojar, K. Klinka, and D.A. Demarchi; pp. 95-111. 18 Davis, H. 1996. MSc Thesis: Characteristics and Selection of Winter Dens by Black Bears in Coastal British Columbia. Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 8 Mountain Hemlock Biogeoclimatic Zone19 The Mountain Hemlock (MH) biogeoclimatic zone is usually the subalpine zone (900-1800 m asl) above the CWH. Mountain hemlock, amabilis fir, and yellow cedar are the most common tree species, with some Douglas-fir and western redcedar at lower elevations, and subalpine fir and whitebark pine at higher elevations in the zone. The predominant shrub species in this zone include a variety of huckleberry and blueberry species, which are a significant food source for black bears. Coastal Douglas-fir Biogeoclimatic Zone20 The Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) zone is limited to a small part of southeastern Vancouver Island, several of the Gulf Islands, and a narrow strip of the adjacent mainland, and is confined to elevations mostly below 150 m. This zone lies in the rainshadow of the Vancouver Island and Olympic mountains, and has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Outside of parks, most of the forests in this zone have been logged at least once, and in many cases are on their second and third rotations. The coastal variety of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) is the most common tree in upland forests. Western redcedar, grand fir, arbutus, Garry oak, and red alder frequently accompany Douglas-fir, depending on site moisture and nutrient regime. Less common trees include shore pine, Sitka spruce, western hemlock, bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata), western flowering dogwood (Cornus nuttallii), bigleaf maple, black cottonwood, and trembling aspen. Forest composition varies considerably as a result of widespread human disturbance. Vegetation here includes about 50 rare species restricted to the zone, most at the northern limit of their distribution. There are four representative site associations common to this zone, reflecting elevation and soil moisture conditions. These site associations are not found in any other biogeoclimatic zone: Douglas- fir—Salal, Douglas-fir—Shore pine—Arbutus, Redcedar—Grand fir—Foamflower, and Redcedar— Skunk cabbage. Understorey composition in these site associations includes, respectively: salal, Oregon grape, red huckleberry, baldhip rose, bracken fern, trailing blackberry, trailing snowberry, and western trumpet honeysuckle; ocean-spray, Oregon grape, saskatoon, white fawn lily, Pacific sanicle, and purple peavine; salal, Oregon grape, western yew, vanilla-leaf, sword fern, and three-leaved foamflower; salmonberry, Indian-plum, red elderberry, lady fern, giant horsetail, skunk cabbage, false lily-of-the- valley, and, as in the other site associations, a variety of mosses. Many of these plants are used as food by black bears throughout the various seasons. Wildlife species common to this zone include black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, black bear, cougar, grey wolf, marten, raccoon, mink, river otter, various species of bats and small rodents. Marine mammals include Orca, northern sea lion, and harbour seal. Many species of waterbirds spend winters on the estuaries and sheltered waters in this zone, including mallard, scaups, trumpeter swan, various merganser and cormorant species, gulls, and colony-nesting great blue heron. Other birds common to this zone include pileated, downy, and hairy woodpeckers; ravens and crows; bald eagles; various hawks and falcons, including red tails, peregrines, and merlins; Steller’s jay; brown creeper; various types of thrushes and wrens; hummingbirds; grouse; and great-horned, saw-whet, and barn owls. The zone also supports a respectable number of reptiles and amphibians, including Pacific tree frog, Enstina salamander, northwestern garter snake, western toad, and northern alligator lizard. Alpine Tundra Biogeoclimatic Zone21 The Alpine Tundra (AT) biogeoclimatic zone has the harshest climate of all zones. Along the coast, it is characterised by high snowfall and extensive icefields and glaciers. Climatic conditions on the mountaintops above the Alberni Valley are considerably moderated by warm, moist Pacific air and there are no large permanent snow- or icefields in the vicinity. Wildlife density and diversity are

19 Ibid. Chapter 7. Mountain Hemlock Zone. J. Pojar, K. Klinka, and D.A. Demarchi; pp. 113-124. 20 Ibid. Chapter 5. Coastal Douglas-fir Zone. F.C. Nuszdorfer, K. Klinka, and D.A. Demarchi; pp. 81-93. 21 Ibid. Chapter 18. Alpine Tundra Zone. J. Pojar, and A.C. Stewart; pp. 263-274.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 9 comparatively low. Alpine meadows and grassy habitats provide some summer forage, and berry production (crowberry and blueberries) can be an important food source for bears in late summer.

1.3 Regional, Provincial, National, and International Contexts Port Alberni is frequently characterised as being “the gateway to the Pacific Rim.” Centrally located in the middle of Vancouver Island between the Strait of Georgia and the Pacific Ocean, roughly a million visitors a year pass through the city on their way to the provincial and national parks on the Pacific Ocean and the west coast villages of Bamfield, Tofino, and Ucluelet. These visitors originate from elsewhere in British Columbia, Canada, the United States, Europe, and countries around the world. Many kinds of outdoor recreation, including ocean, lake, and river fishing; hunting; sailing; whale- watching; kayaking; surfing; camping; birdwatching; natural history and photography expeditions; and world-class hiking on the internationally famous West Coast Trail are some of the region’s attractions. To the west of Port Alberni is the Tofino Mud Flats22 Wildlife Management Area (WMA), an integral part of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Important Bird Area (IBA). To the east is the Qualicum National Wildlife Area. Established in 1977 under the auspices of the Canadian Wildlife Service, it is part of the Little Qualicum Estuary IBA and the Mt. Arrowsmith Biosphere Reserve. The entire region is criss-crossed with back-country hiking trails that are in use almost year- round. There is a national park (Pacific Rim National Park Reserve), a national historic site (McLean Mill National Historic Site), and large provincial parks, including Carmanah Walbran to the southwest, and Strathcona to the north. Della Falls, at the south end of Strathcona, is the highest waterfall in Canada (440 m). This spectacular site can be reached by boating or paddling to the north shore of then a 14-km hike. Smaller parks highlight recreational use of the region for both residents and visitors. All these areas have plentiful habitats to support a sustainable population of black bears. In a provincial context, widespread public education to help people better co-exist with bears is an important goal. While, as a species, black bears are not yet threatened in British Columbia, we cannot foretell the future effects of a diminished genetic diversity, nor can we predict the effects of macro- environmental occurrences, such as climate change, on bears or on the variety of habitats they require. Overall, the attitude that accompanies becoming a Bear Smart Community benefits bears and other wildlife species by helping people be more attuned to their impacts on the natural environment. Internationally, bears have been put at risk in many countries due to the actions of people. Maintenance of genetically diverse natural populations is part of a wise biodiversity management system (the precautionary principle). 23 Although black bears are not considered a species at risk in Canada, their equivalent in other countries has either been extirpated, as in Europe, or seriously depleted to the point of endangerment (e.g., the Sun bear in Southeast Asia, the Spectacled bear in South America). Unless we change our behaviours (largely through widespread public education and participation in targetted activities like the Bear Smart Community program), the same fate will eventually befall bears in British Columbia, and in Canada generally.

22 http://www.tofinomudflats.com/ 23 Synthesised from comments by Sean Sharpe, RPBio, Smithers (December 2004).

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 10 2.0 STUDY APPROACH AND METHODS 2.1 Overall Study Approach For the most part, the study followed the specific objectives established for the BC Environment ministry’s Bear Smart Community Program by Davis et al (2001). The specific objectives of the Preliminary Hazard Assessment are to: 1) identify sites, areas, trails, and practices with historic, existing, and potential human-bear conflict; 2) identify gaps in existing knowledge of bear use and human-bear conflict in the area, and provide recommendations for further investigation and additional hazard assessment phases; and 3) produce management recommendations to reduce existing and potential conflicts within the community and to pursue “Bear Smart Community” status. 2.2 Methods This Bear Hazard Assessment has been done using a variety of information sources, including: ¾ research of background information and documents, both in hard copy and online, including the OCP, bylaws, and other information provided on the City of Port Alberni's and the Alberni- Clayoquot Regional District's (ACRD) websites, the BC Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Forest ecosystem and habitat information sources (including their websites), and a number of websites devoted more specifically to black bears and bear-people conflicts (e.g., Bear Aware, Get Bear Smart Society); ¾ review of research on bear ecology, including bear behaviours, use of habitats to support population dynamics, and importance of bears as components of coastal river/forest ecosystems; ¾ review of maps provided by the city and regional district government offices and online sources; ¾ extensive review and analysis of wildlife occurrence data provided by the district Conservation Officer Service; ¾ extensive research and interviews with company representatives regarding waste management and garbage handling equipment and systems; ¾ discussions with the ACRD's Environmental Services Manager (Drew Hadfield) and review of the draft Solid Waste Management Plan; ¾ interviews and discussions with Conservation Officers in and outside the region, and discussions with Bear Smart Community Program personnel in the BC Ministry of Environment; ¾ interviews with a number and variety of people in the city, including school principals and teachers, commercial business owners, members of the public, and employees of the City of Port Alberni; ¾ research of local media (primarily the Alberni Valley Times) to determine the number and content of articles about bears in the city; ¾ extensive on-the-ground fact-checking and map ground-truthing. No long-term detailed scientific bear habitat inventories have been done for Port Alberni or surrounding areas. To remedy this, I have attempted to identify and map some of the areas potentially having high- to-medium use by black bears due to the type of vegetation that provides food and cover for bears, as well as possible and known travel corridors (e.g., Dry Creek) that allow for easy movements by bears. In five and a half days of field work, I examined many of the residential, recreational, institutional, industrial, and commercial sections of Port Alberni to assess potential hazard ratings and to ground-truth maps and other information given to me (such as the siting of garbage cans and dumpsters at housing complexes, commercial sites, along city streets, etc.). Using information from the Wildlife Call Centre database, I focused my efforts (in residential areas) on locations where there had been higher numbers

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 11 of complaints reported and on new housing developments at the city’s edges, since these may present new opportunities for bears to get access to residential garbage. I assessed the potential for bear-human interactions at high-risk sites, such as commercial food outlets (grocery stores, restaurants, etc.), schools, city parks and greenbelt areas, and along walking trails, by reviewing the complaint data, anecdotal evidence, and by visual inspection. This data is combined with my own research and knowledge of bear ecology. I reviewed the city's bylaws and policies dealing with animal control, the OCP, parks and recreation; and the regional district's bylaws with respect to waste management, assessing each for their adequacy and language in dealing with the potential to prevent or reduce bear-people conflicts. Landscaping throughout the city was also looked at in order to determine what types of plants are used and whether or not there are any species that are likely to attract bears (e.g., mountain ash and cherry trees, salal). I reviewed several Bear Hazard Assessments completed for other jurisdictions in southwestern BC, including Lions Bay (Paquet 2005), Resort Municipality of Whistler (McCrory 2005), Squamish (McCrory & Paquet 2006), the North Shore (McCrory 2006), Sunshine Coast Regional District (Paquet 2007), City of Coquitlam (Paquet 2007), and community “bear aware” activities in Kamloops, Revelstoke, Prince George, the Town of Canmore (Alberta), and in national, provincial, and regional parks. The scope and context of these were applied to this bear hazard assessment to ensure its consistency with provincial expectations. I conducted interviews in person, by phone, or by email with Port Alberni and Alberni Valley residents, with Conservation Officers working in the area, with school principals and other staff, and with people at companies that manufacture and/or sell waste management equipment and systems, including: • Ben York, District Conservation Officer, Alberni • Mike Stern, Conservation Officer, Alberni • Steve Ackles, Conservation Officer, Nanaimo and Alberni • Bob and Ann Collins, farmers and campground operators, Arrowvale Farm • Ken Watson, City Manager • Russell Dyson, City Clerk • Jacob Colyn, Parks Operations Supervisor/Horticulturist, City of Port Alberni • Drew Hadfield, Manager, Environmental Services, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District • Jack Payne, Bylaw Enforcement Officer, City of Port Alberni • Randy Fraser, Streets Superintendent, Engineering Department, City of Port Alberni • Crystal McMillan, Bear Aware Supervisor for Vancouver Island, BC Conservation Corps • Steve Thompson, Director of Marketing & Sales, BearSaver • Jeff Rollins, Rollins Machinery Limited (sells Haul-All and other equipment) • various city residents who did not want their names mentioned in this report • Sandra (last name not given), Tenant Liaison, M’Kola Housing, a non-profit society • Principals, vice-principals, and other staff in all city schools (SD #70 Alberni) • Al Ross, Wildlife Manager; and Aaron Hamilton, Operations Director, Hupacasath First Nation I also consulted wildlife biologists with expertise in bear biology, including Helen Davis (Armstrong), Sean Sharpe (Prince George), and Wayne McCrory (New Denver). In addition to interviews with the above people, I collected information from the province’s Wildlife Report database on the number and types of complaints that occurred locally for the years 2004 through a portion of 2007. I then organised and analysed the data according to location, type of occurrence and attractant, and result or response, if noted in the reports. Responses ranged from no response (because there was no immediate threat to human safety) to removal (translocation) of the bear(s), to killing the bear. The data was organised in order to determine which neighbourhoods were experiencing the highest number of problems. Using data points from these reports localised to the 100-block of the

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 12 given street, I then marked these points on maps provided to me by the city’s planning technician to show the neighbourhoods with the heaviest concentrations of problems for each of the annual periods analysed (section 3.4).

2.2.1 Descriptions of assessment and evaluation methods24 Following are more specific descriptions of the methodologies applied. Habitat evaluation A field assessment of potential black bear habitats in and adjacent to residential and recreational developments, including walking trails, residential subdivisions, schools, and city parks was conducted by the writer. As many areas as possible were sampled, with priority given to the areas where there was prior knowledge of conflicts with bears and where risk assessment was felt to be most critical (e.g., schools, certain neighbourhoods and commercial areas, and parks). Greenbelts and ravines between and among residential areas, such as stream corridors and the railway tracks, were also assessed. Each was evaluated for potential bear food densities and assigned a value, as follows: • trace (Tr) • low (L) • moderate (M) • high (H) • very high (VH) Cover classes (capability of providing security cover) were further subjectively rated, as follow: very low = 0-5%, low = 6-25%, moderate = 26-50%, high = 51-75%, and very high = 76-100%. Since there is yet no diet study published specifically for black bears in the South Coast Mountains, a list of hypothetical black bear foods, determined through McCrory’s work in Whistler (2004), was used to assess habitats (see Appendix 4). Bear travel/connectivity evaluation Since it was beyond the scope of this study to do a detailed connectivity assessment using GIS computer modelling, a subjective field assessment of powerlines, roads, riparian corridors, rail lines, and other travel features was used. Profile of potential dangerous bear encounter types The district Conservation Officer has advised that there have been no dangerous bear encounters reported in the City of Port Alberni, although some people have misinterpreted the defensive behaviours of black bears here. McCrory (2004) prepared a bear encounter profile for Whistler (see Appendix 5) and concluded that while there had been none at the time of his study, there was potential due to the increase in such backcountry activities as mountain biking. While the city of Port Alberni has none of these activities within city limits, they do occur in the immediately surrounding area and will likely become part of local tourism marketing. McCrory determined that dangerous encounters with dogs have a much greater likelihood than with bears. Since that time, there have been a few occurrences in municipalities in the Greater Vancouver area, including one at Minnekhada Regional Park. The former involved residential garbage (Port Moody), the resident’s dog, and a sow with cub; the latter involved an encounter by an off-leash dog while its owner was walking it. To my knowledge, there have been no “dangerous bear encounter” studies done for Vancouver Island bears; this may be significant because Vancouver Island bears are a different subspecies than Lower Mainland black bears and may have different behaviour characteristics that make them less aggressive towards humans.

24 Adapted from McCrory & Paquet, 2006.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 13 Final hazard ratings Habitat potential, travel corridor information, conflict data, garbage availability, type of site use by people, cover, disturbance, any encounter profiles, and other factors to determine relative bear hazard values for the various areas in the city were used to assign final hazard ratings. These included residential areas and new housing developments, schools, parks, and commercial and industrial areas.

2.2.2 Problem analysis methods Bear-people conflict monitoring and analysis All available sources of bear-human conflict information were obtained and analysed. Where possible, data was segregated according to year, type of attractant/problem (garbage, fruit, etc.), location (for mapping and analysis purposes), and other factors (section 3.4). Assessment of specific hazards and potential risks Schools and recreation amenities (including city parks; walkways, and trails), and new development areas were assessed for potential hazards, and recommendations were made (section 3.5). Audit of public education system on bears and bear safety All information used for public education purposes (such as brochures, handouts, signs, presentations, kiosks at community events, media articles, etc.) was reviewed for accuracy and focus with respect to bear ecology; bear hazard levels, and bear safety. The presence (or not) of a focused community program, whether delivered by local government or a volunteer group, was also looked at (section 3.6). Audit of waste management methods Information included came from background documents, field surveys, and interviews. Where possible, data on waste management systems from different companies and communities was obtained. From this, a comparative analysis of bear-proof systems and equipment was prepared (section 3.7). Audit of Port Alberni bylaws Bylaws were assessed for language relevant to preventing conflicts with bears, and further appraised for their values and limitations in supporting Bear Smart Community principles (section 3.8 and appendices 11-13). Audit of OCP and development policies Planning documents were obtained from the city, including hard copies and information from the city’s website. The primary document is the Port Alberni OCP. Other information, such as instructions on how to apply for development permits, was also available on the city’s website. These were reviewed with respect to any information about bears and/or recognition of the need to reduce bear-people conflicts (section 3.9 and Appendix 14). Other background information Background information on the ecology of black bears, possible behavioural differences in the Vancouver Island subspecies, and a Google search for bear-people encounters on Vancouver Island was also used to help inform this report. The draft report was then sent to Russell Dyson, Port Alberni City Clerk, to Ben York, District Conservation Officer, and to Sean Sharpe, RPBio, for technical and content review. Upon receipt of their feedback, the final report was produced.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 14 3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3.1 Ecology of Black Bears Before embarking on a discussion of results and subsequent recommendations, it is beneficial to present information on the ecology of black bears. This includes their evolution, required habitats, and their behaviours and how these predispose bears to coming into conflict with people. Black bears on Vancouver Island are a distinct subspecies (Ursus americanus vancouveri) from those found on the mainland and in the rest of Canada. Among the differences are: large size, primarily black phase25, and, because of the mild climate and historic abundance of food, generally have short hibernation periods and are not noted for aggressive behaviour toward people. Recent research points out the importance of bears in ecosystems, particularly those that have large salmon-forest components. This information helps us to understand that bears provide important ecosystem functions, such as the distribution of soil nutrients that have enabled the historically lush forests of southwestern British Columbia and Vancouver Island (see Appendix 7). Black bears are truly forest-dependent animals. They prefer the types of forested habitats generally found in valley bottoms. The dense understorey in older forests offers a wide variety of foods bears require. The trees provide protective cover and, when climbed, safety from threats. In wet coastal areas particularly, large (generally old-growth) trees and tall stumps also provide bears with important places to den for the winter that are high and dry, thus enabling them to better maintain body temperature during the wet winters, and to avoid predators.26 In our province’s mountainous terrain, valley bottoms are also where most people like to live and where most of our towns are located. This is a root cause of bear-people conflicts. In her report, Reducing Human-Bear Conflicts (March 1997), Ciarniello says that to understand how “problem” bear behaviour develops, one needs to know the biological requirements of bears and how they learn. While bears are classified as carnivores, they are… …opportunistic omnivores that feed primarily on grasses, forbs, berries, [and insect larvae], “but prefer richer, fatty foods when available (e.g., fish, ungulates)…[and] will switch foods according to their…distribution and abundance… [B]ears will select habitats that contain plant foods high in… nutrients…Consuming large quantities of digestible food is especially important prior to denning. The ways bears process foods, and their constant struggle to attain the largest layer of fat possible to survive winter denning, are keys to understanding their attraction to non-natural foods. Landfills and other non-natural foods [especially garbage] are some of the most concentrated sources of calorie-rich foods and are, therefore, attractive to bears. She further explains: Bears select habitats based on a number of factors, including quality and availability of foods, forest/security cover, breeding opportunities, avoidance of other bears (e.g., black bears avoid

25 Black Bears in British Columbia: Ecology, Conservation and Management. BC Environment Ministry, 2001 (see App 7). 26 Ibid. Davis, H. 1996.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 15 grizzly bears, female and subadult bears avoid adult males). The amount of nutrition attained influences reproductive success and social status, and is vital to survival. Non-natural attractants are often concentrated in a site (e.g., a landfill) and within an area (e.g., a town) and offer high nutrient availability with [comparatively] little energy expenditure [by the bear]… Curiosity is a [lifelong] characteristic that helps bears discover the most productive and nutritious foods…[they] also possess the ability to learn through the observation of other bears [and their own experiences, often needing only one incident to teach them something]. Because bears are very effective learners, any high energy food that they feed on may be included in their search image [emphasis added]. Bears quickly learn to recognise visual cues, such as a garbage can, a freezer on a porch, or plants in a patio garden, as potential food sources, and this fact is stored in their memory. Coupled with their keen sense of smell, even more effective than a dog’s, it is easy to understand how garbage becomes such a powerful attractant. In order to survive—both as individuals and as a species—it is absolutely imperative that bears “bulk up” before denning. A female will not produce young if she does not have sufficient fat reserves to successfully sustain herself and gestating, and then nursing, offspring. While A bear spies a tempting berry plant and compost bucket on a mating occurs in spring and early summer, patio. L Ruskin photo implantation of the embryo occurs in late fall, just prior to winter denning. Nature has provided her body with the knowledge that if she cannot provide the fats and nutrients for herself and her young, including nursing cubs for at least 14 weeks prior to emerging from her den, the embryo will be flushed from her body. We now know why hyperfeeding in fall is such an imperative for the species. By allowing bears access to non-natural food sources, particularly calorie-rich garbage, Ciarniello (March 1997) says, “…we may accelerate the natural reproductive cycle of the bear. Being drawn to richer artificial food sources, bears respond with a decreased interval between breeding, larger litter size, and earlier reproduction.” She also points out (pp. 7-8): Bears are very effective learners. Cubs remain with their mother for one to three years and in that time learn the requirements necessary for survival for the remainder of their life. If the mother is a ‘garbage bear,’ then the cubs will learn to forage on garbage. Similarly, if no avoidance of humans is displayed and/or food is attained from humans, then a lack of fear of humans and an association between humans and food A sow and cub check out this porch for may be learned. a meal; the cub remembers this food source. N. Rodgers photo.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 16 When you consider this information, it becomes easier to understand what attracts black bears to human use areas and what makes them lose their fear of people. You can see that when we don’t manage non-natural attractants, we provide a smorgasbord for bears and teach them to associate people with sources of food. Couple this with the knowledge that bears have amazing capacity to learn and remember, and that sows teach their cubs how to survive in all habitats, including settled ones, and the picture on how and why conflicts develop between bears and people further emerges. Our challenge is to introduce factors that (a) significantly decrease the availability of non-natural foods for bears, and (b) offer learning opportunities to bears that strongly discourage them from approaching the places where people live, including This bear has learned that our garbage cans are a source of food. How soon before it has to be destroyed? rural locations. This leaves the more wild areas Drake Stephens photo where people may work or recreate where, again, we have the responsibility to learn how to avoid potential problems with bears and employ practices that reduce conflicts (e.g., brushing out and widening trails, reducing/eliminating security cover in picnic and play areas, learning how to react more safely when confronted by a bear). Bears, like people, are creatures of habit. Their movements from one habitat use type (denning, feeding, shelter, mating) to another become trails that they use for generations. When human development breaks up previously contiguous bear habitat, the animals’ movement corridors become fragmented. Not only does this force bears to risk entering areas where there are people (when they would normally avoid us), it can have negative effects on conserving bears as a species. Habitat fragmentation causes wildlife populations to become isolated and increases the risk of extirpation and, ultimately, extinction of at least that unique genetic stock of the species. This is another important reason to proactively manage bear- human conflicts that, while not directly related to the Bear Smart Community Program, is essential if we want to achieve any degree of environmental sustainability.

3.2 Data Limitations In the following discussions, it is useful to keep in mind that there are limitations to some of the information and data used to produce this report. Detailed information on the status of the black bear population throughout the entire study area was not available, so no definitive conclusions can be made on the effects that access to non-natural attractants, or removing bears from the population by destroying and translocating them, may be having on the size or status of the population. Nor was there current inventory on all the changes in habitat characteristics due to the rapid rate of habitat alteration and alienation. Information about waste management systems and equipment was subject to some of the companies’ overly optimistic marketing claims about the effectiveness of their equipment to stop bears getting access to garbage. To help counteract this, the writer consulted with the Living With Wildlife Foundation in Montana and Wyoming, which operates testing centres for a variety of equipment and certifies those products that can successfully withstand abuse by captive grizzly bears for at least 90 minutes. After discussions with the writer, the manager at the Montana testing centre (Patti Sowka) agreed it would be useful to institute a program using only black bears. The rationale for this is that black bears are the only concern for most communities in North America outside of the Rocky Mountains and Alaska and a few settled areas in coastal BC. While some companies that make

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 17 residential garbage cans were generally forthright about prices, some of those that manufacture dumpsters were reluctant to discuss design or cost issues due to the highly competitive nature of this business (see Table 12, Explanatory Note 6.2, and Appendix 10). Province-wide, the number of complaints citizens make to the Conservation Officer Service call centre (the RAPP line: 1-877-952-7277) are upwards of 10,000 every year, yet this high number is estimated to represent only about 25% to 30% of the actual volume of incidents between people and black bears. There are other considerations to take into account when reviewing data in the tables in section 3 and their subsequent analyses. Chief among these is the simple factor of human error when reporting an incident. A caller may give a wrong address, no address, only a general neighbourhood area; or a number may be inadvertently transposed when moving data from file to file. Also, when taking a call, operators sometimes make assumptions on the nature of the problem. Again, simple human error or time constraints can result in recording information that is not quite accurate or that doesn’t present all the facts of the incident. The date ranges in each year of data were not consistent for every location (e.g., April-October in some years, May-December in others, etc.). For some years, attractant data was incomplete. As well, when using records from various years, differences in methods of recording or storing reports may also have introduced errors when the information was retrieved. In some cases, reports were handwritten and were difficult to decipher. There was little or inconsistent historic data available on the numbers of bears destroyed and translocated for Port Alberni, making comparisons with current years and other areas impossible. Notwithstanding any of the above, none of the data used were taken on hearsay; all of it came from actual reports held by the Conservation Officer Service and is as accurate as possible. No personal information that could identify callers was used or conveyed during data input to generate either the tables or the maps of bear sightings. The information used was generalised to the nearest 100- block of a street or intersection so that only neighbourhoods could be identified to indicate the travel routes of bears or the general locations of bear-people conflict “hotspots.” A research agreement was entered into with the Ministry by the contractor (M. Paquet). Once the data points had been inputted and mapped, the contractor deleted all electronic data from all hard drives and storage devices, and shredded all paper copies of reports.

3.3 Habitats and General Distribution of Bear Attractants in the City of Port Alberni For the purpose of this report, the entire study area and surrounding areas are considered to have widespread occurrence of bear attractants—both natural and non- natural. Riparian areas and greenbelts throughout the city, depending on local conditions, have high potential to provide a variety of natural habitats (e.g., for feeding, denning, shelter, and mating, and movement or travel corridors) for black bears. In one location on the very border of the city, two bear dens, one on top of the other, were identified by a reliable local resident.27

27 Frank Stini, personal communication, October 2007.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 18 3.3.1 Bear plant foods found in the study area Table 1 below, while not an exhaustive list, indicates there is a high number of natural and non-natural plant food attractants for bears throughout the study area. The list includes wild plants and plants used in gardens, either for food or landscaping purposes, lawns, and plants in fish or lily ponds.

red huckleberry, a naturally occurring attractant Table 1. Naturally occurring (wild) and planted (landscape use) bear foods in and adjacent to study area28 Plant name General Where found Seasonality Wild vs planted Other comments abundance apples ( sp., and other domestic fruit abundant residential gardens, late summer, planted a major attractant, trees, including plums and pears) garden escape in vacant fall, early winter second only to garbage lots, etc. black hawthorn [Crataegus douglasii] some moist open places, near small fruits stay wild; common as may be common streams all winter garden escape hawthorn, an alien species black twinberry (Lonicera involucrata] abundant forest & stream edges summer wild also called bearberry honeysuckle blackberries, black raspberries [Rubus very abundant, roadsides and clearings; late summer, wild sunny exposed areas, spp.]; Armenian blackberry (Rubus ubiquitous between houses, in early fall along hydro, rail, and discolor] parks, vacant lots road rights-of-way blueberry and huckleberry [Vaccinium abundant, forest edges, in parks early summer wild and planted many species with blue spp], including: Alaskan blueberry, oval- especially red and surrounding areas or red berries occur in leaved blueberry, black huckleberry, red huckleberry area huckleberry, dwarf blueberry, evergreen huckleberry bog cranberry [Oxycoccus oxycoccos, some bogs and wet areas late fall, winter wild dark red juicy berries aka Vaccinium oxycoccos, V. microcarpum] cherry, bitter [Prunus emarginata] some scattered throughout small bitter wild towns and rural areas cherries clover [Trifolium spp.] abundant lawns, parks, and graze in spring wild and planted scattered distribution schools & summer cotoneaster [Cotoneaster dammeri locally landscape planting at berries summer horticultural do not know if this plant “bearberry” and other species] abundant many schools through winter species, planted attracts bears cow parsnip [Heracleum lanatum] some forest edges, ditches, spring, early wild roadsides summer crowberry [Empetrum nigrum] sparse rocky slopes; subalpine juicy berries in wild bears like this alpine and & alpine meadows late summer subalpine summer food dandelions [Taraxacum officinale] abundant grassy areas, lawns, graze spring, wild alien widespread introduced schools, vacant lots summer species devil’s club [Oplopanax horridus] some streambanks, forest summer wild berries in red clusters edges relished by bears false Solomon’s seal [Smilacina very abundant forest floor, streambanks summer wild showy berry clusters racemosa] ferns (numerous species) very abundant forest floor, gardens, primarily spring wild and planted sword, lady, deer, and riparian areas maidenhair ferns fungi (various kinds) common throughout summer, fall wild a variety occur grasses (Graminae] abundant gardens, lawns, all seasons, wild and planted scattered distribution clearings, beaches esp. spring hairy manzanita [Arctostaphylos abundant dry, sunny spots, rock berries; late wild can hybridise with columbiana] slopes summer kinnickinnik

28 Table adapted from Paquet, M. 2005. Bear Hazard Assessment Report, Village of Lions Bay, BC.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 19 Plant name General Where found Seasonality Wild vs planted Other comments abundance high bush cranberry [Viburnum edule] abundant forest edges, near autumn; winter wild tart, clustered berries; streams stay on plants all winter horsetail [Equisetum spp.] abundant disturbed, sandy fill spring wild scattered distribution areas, vacant lots Indian plum [Oemleria cerasiformis] common open areas, roadsides, early to mid- wild low elevations streambanks summer kinnikinnick or common bearberry very abundant throughout town, at berries ripen wild and planted dry rocky slopes or dry [Arctostaphylos uva-ursi] schools, used as late; stay on forest clearings; ground landscape plant plants in winter cover mountain sorrel [Oxyria digyna] some rocky areas spring wild higher rocky slopes Oregon grape [Mahonia nervosa] very abundant forest floor, landscaping summer wild and planted in shady areas, slopes Pacific crabapple [Malus fusca] some near streams summer-fall wild small apples raspberry [Rubus spp]; cultivated some gardens summer planted red elderberry [Sambucus racemosa] some open forest, near summer wild red berries in tall shrubs streams, clearings red-osier dogwood [Cornus stolonifera] very abundant moist to wet sites spring-fall wild and planted favoured browse for deer roses, wild (Rosa spp., esp. nutkana & abundant gardens, “wild” areas, rosehips in wild and planted in sunny areas; wild gymnocarpa] & cultivated sometimes mixed with summer through alongside roads and wild blackberries fall, winter rights-of-way rushes [Juncus spp.] limited, boggy areas, riparian bears graze, wild few wet areas or natural abundant very areas, garden ponds esp in spring streambanks locally salal [Gaultheria shallon] very abundant throughout area, land- juicy berries wild and planted dense thickets in ravines scaping in city and brushy areas salmonberry [Rubus spectabilis] abundant open forests, near early summer wild can provide dense cover streams in riparian areas sedges [Carex spp.] locally rock gardens, ponds, spring, summer wild and planted scattered distribution; abundant wetland areas, fresh & wet areas, stream- salt water edges banks, landscaping Sitka mountain ash [Sorbus sitchensis] abundant forest edges, city streets late summer, fall wild clustered fruits skunk cabbage [Lysichiton americanum] common boggy areas spring wild wet or boggy areas thimbleberry [Rubus parviflorus] common open sites; low to midsummer wild along trails, footpaths, subalpine; streamsides forest edges trailing blackberry [Rubus ursinus] common disturbed sites, thickets, late summer wild native blackberry dry open forest wild and domestic cherry (Prunus sp) common wild: moist forest, along late summer wild wild variety is bitter streams, on logged-over fruit areas, lining city streets wild currants [Ribes spp] abundant rocky slopes, gardens early summer wild and planted disturbed roadside areas wild and planted nut trees (hazelnut; sparse moist sites, forest fall through wild and planted a good source of protein Corylus sp.) openings, stream sides winter

Trailing blackberry [Rubus ursinus). BC’s only Pacific crabapple (Malus native blackberry. fusca) Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 20 Of course, bears have other uses for plants besides as food. Large diameter trees and stumps are important to provide dry denning sites. Bears rub against and otherwise mark trees to delineate territories. Remnant forest areas and dense brush along roadsides, riparian areas, and between houses and other developments provide security cover throughout the study area. Bears also seek out many non-plant foods, such as insect larvae (particularly ants and wasps), carrion, mussels, barnacles, beach crabs, and other marine and freshwater species, and of course, fish, especially salmon. Generally speaking, there are fewer bear foods on steep, rocky lakeshores and streamsides, and more on sandy and muddy ones. Aside from a few mentions in provincial park brochures, I could find no comprehensive surveys of bear foods available in—or even near—the study area. 3.3.2 Natural vs non-natural attractants While the difference between natural and non-natural attractants may seem obvious, it is necessary to describe what biologists and bear behaviourists consider to be the differences. Of key importance, they point out, is that when bears are in a completely natural environment, their behaviours are correspondingly “natural.” When, due to a variety of factors, bears are forced to live—at least part of the time—in modified environments, fragmented habitats, or in locations where non-natural food attractants are abundant and/or easy for bears to get at, then their behaviours can present potential problems for people. Ciarniello (March 1997) lists the primary non-natural attractants bears find in urban, semi-rural, and rural settings in BC: * garbage (at all points of handling) * orchards * compost and garden residues * pet food (including birdfeeders) * fruit trees * apiaries * gardens * vineyards * agricultural production, greenhouses * livestock ranching * hobby farms For Port Alberni, the areas of concern having the greatest potential for conflicts between bears and people are new developments in or bordering on a previously undeveloped area (e.g., new residential subdivisions); near schools; in and near public parks and greenspaces; footpaths alongside riparian areas (such as the Kitsuksis Walkway), and in the area of Harbour Quay and Victoria Quay, where there is a variety of restaurants, other food outlets, and the weekend Farmers Market. This is particularly true for areas adjacent to residential and commercial areas wherever unsecured garbage is available. Rural and agricultural properties where there may be livestock, apiaries, berry farms, fruit orchards, vegetable gardens, or greenhouses are all potential non-natural attractants. Although there are none of these in the study area, they do occur adjacent to its perimeter. Rural locations near the city, including the watersheds, nearby wilderness parks, and powerline and railway rights-of-way (except the railway line immediately within the city), were not surveyed for this bear hazard assessment because the intent of this report is to inform the city on how to reduce bear-people conflicts. Due to the settlement history of the study area, there are numerous and widespread occurrences of garden escapes, including fruit and nut trees, and alien species (such as Armenian blackberry). In addition to these, residential and commercial landscaping frequently uses plants that are attractive to bears (e.g., mountain ash [rowan] and cherry (Prunus spp.] trees, roses, bearberry [uva-ursi] as ground cover). So while a given tree, shrub, or ground cover species may be found “naturally” throughout a local ecosystem (e.g., wild cherry, Oregon grape, salal, wild rose, red currant, kinnikinnick, clovers, certain grasses and sedges), when it is used to landscape people’s yards, downtown streets, or any other commercial or residential application, it becomes a non-natural attractant in that context. For coastal bears particularly, salmon is one of the most important sources of fat and protein. Salmon runs generally occur at just the right time for bears to put on fat reserves prior to winter denning. Over the millennia, bears have developed a critical relationship with salmon such that salmon, bears, and their forest habitats are thoroughly interdependent. We are now beginning to understand that the nutrient-rich coastal forest ecosystems we have enjoyed are due in large part to the role that bears have played in distributing—by eating salmon and then dropping their scat and fish carcasses throughout the forest—

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 21 some of the most important nutrients throughout the ecosystem, notably isotopic forms of nitrogen (see Appendix 7), which all gardeners know is an essential nutrient for lush growth. Many of our towns and settlements (and Port Alberni is no exception in this regard) have developed adjacent to estuaries or alongside rivers and streams—streams that once were full of salmon and where bears could feed in relative safety. Today, many of these streams pass through parks, commercial or industrial areas, and residential neighbourhoods, often separated from human use areas only by a fence, hedge, or thin buffer strip. Many have public walkways or trails developed alongside them. Most don’t have nearly the number of salmon in them as were historically available. While generally considered to be a natural source of food for bears, as they are currently situated in human-use areas, these streams can also be considered, in the context of this report, to be non-natural attractants for bears. Certainly they are often important travel corridors for bears and facilitate their movements into and throughout neighbourhoods and commercial areas.

3.4 Analysis of Complaints Reported to Conservation Officer Service Data in the tables below are from either the BC Ministry of Environment’s District Conservation Office in Port Alberni, or from the Provincial Wildlife Call Centre in Victoria (the “Report All Poachers and Polluters” or RAPP line: 1-877-952-7277). These latter are all the calls received by the CO Service’s toll-free line and are considered to represent only a fraction of the actual number of interactions that the public has with bears in any given year. Some estimate it is as low as 25% of reportable incidents. The primary reason for this seems to be that people are concerned that COs or police will either do nothing, or they will shoot the bear as a matter of practice, but this is not usually the case. The writer urges people to notify the Call Centre so that the data gathered can more accurately reflect the number, locations, and types of experiences people have with bears. Callers are advised immediately and with authority on how to deal with their individual situations, and the information gathered enables the COs, local governments, researchers, and people doing public bear education programs to target their efforts in areas and neighbourhoods that are experiencing the most problems. The number of reports and types of attractants for 2004, 2005, and 2006 are shown in tables 2, 3, and 4, with 2005 being a peak year likely due to weather conditions affecting wild food sources for bears. The tables highlight the most active months and primary attractants in each year. In the tables, “other” includes bbqs, beehives, bears in CO trap, birdfeeders, food in coolers, outdoor fridges/freezers, pets/ pet food, fish in rivers/creeks, bears grazing on lawns, and bears in backyard ponds and pools. “Fruit trees” is domestic fruit trees and grapes. “Wild berries” includes thimbleberry, salmonberry, and any of the wild blackberry species found in this region. “Sighting” indicates bears generally only passing through. “Nuisance” indicates the person reporting the incident is quite bothered by the presence of bears, with a number of these demanding the CO either trap or shoot the bear. The other categories are self-evident. The data at the bottom of the tables further highlights useful information to enable local governments to design effective waste management methods, public education programs, and make amendments to local development and zoning plans in order to become a Bear Smart Community. It’s important to note that a large percent of the raw data listed “sighting” as the only descriptor, yet when I read the details, I found more information about the attractant or cause for the report. I have no way to determine how consistently this occurred, meaning that the numbers for garbage, fruit trees, birdfeeders, etc. may be higher than the data indicated. Some reports described the bear’s behaviour as aggressive, but in virtually all cases the bear was showing typical defensive behaviour. Understandably, in many of these, the complainant likely experienced fear and/or anger.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 22 Table 2. Analysis of 2004 complaints Month Type of complaint Attractants Total sighting nuisance property injured or garbage fruit trees garden or livestock wild other not applicable only damage dead bear or grapes compost berries or available Jan 6 3 1 -- 3 ------6 9 Feb 1 2 -- -- 2 ------1 3 Mar 1 1 1 -- 3 -- 1----11 3 Apr -- 3 3 2 ------2 -- 3 -- 10 May 2 4 -- 3 1 -- 1 1 -- 1 1 6 Jun 1 5 1 5 5 1 -- 4 -- 1 1 7 Jul 3 1 -- 1 ------1 3 4 Aug 22 3 1 -- 4 8 3 3 5 2 8 26 Sep 72 37 9 3 91 50 11 3 12 12 33 116 Oct 77 25 6 5 48 32 3 -- 1 6 46 112 Nov 40 5 2 1 31 9 6----82556 Dec 24 23 6 2 32 1 4 -- -- 6 15 58 Total 249 112 30 22 220 101 29 13 18 41 140 410 % 61% 27% 7% 5% 54% 25% 7% 3% 4% 10% 34% Note the spikes in garbage as attractant for the months of September through December, and fruit trees as attractant for the months of September and October. Highlighting: Yellow indicates peak activity and # of “Livestock” includes livestock feed; “other” includes birdfeeders, outdoor fridge/freezer, attractants; Blue indicates unusually low for time of year. fish smoker, fish in pond, hatchery, beehives, bear in trap, pet/pet food Note: The “Total” column is the total number of complaints received for that month. The number in the “Total” row may be greater than the number of complaints for each month because a caller may report more than one type of attractant. The percentage (%) row is for the whole year. Comments from person reporting complaint Location types kill this don’t kill trap or move asked for Bear greenbelt school park commercial or food industrial (boathouse, APD, bear this bear this bear Aware info outlet (2 malls, DQ, Somass mill, paper mill, Coulson Smitty’s, McDonalds) mill, fish plant—all in Harbour area) 18 4 24 2 91 (22%) 33 (8%) 19 (5%) 31 28

Figure 4. Port Alberni Bear Attractants 2004 Attractants for year 2004 250 Category Number Garbage # of reports 200 Garbage 220 for attractant Fruit trees, grapes Fruit trees, grapes 101 150 Garden, compost Garden, compost 29 Livestock Livestock 13 100 Wild berries 18 Wild berries 50 Other 41 Other

N/A 140 0 N/A Attractant

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 23 Table 3. Analysis of 2005 complaints Month Type of complaint Attractants Total # of reports sighting nuisance property orphan, injured garbage fruit trees garden/ livestock wild other N/A only damage or dead bear or grapes compost berries Jan 32 2 1 4 -- 1 -- -- 6 2 8 Feb ------0 Mar ------1 ------1 1 Apr 1 ------1 ------1 May 42 12 6 -- 36 3 1 -- -- 8 20 60 Jun 64 21 4 2 53 3 8 -- 4 25 21 91 Jul 18 6 5 3 20 4 1 -- 1 11 4 32 Aug 18 15 7 1 25 10 -- 2 4 15 4 41 Sep 53 20 13 3 27 34 8 19 3 5 27 89 Oct 65 18 13 3 63 21 9 1 2 9 19 99 Nov 22 20 10 -- 40 4 1 -- -- 11 7 52 Dec 16 8 2 5 25 6 1 5 1 1 5 31 Total 302 122 62 19 294 85 30 27 15 91 110 505 % 60% 24% 12% 4% 58% 17% 6% 5% 3% 18% 22% Highlighting: yellow: vertical indicates high # of attractants; “Livestock” includes livestock feed. “Other” includes birdfeeders, BBQ, outdoor horizontal indicates high activity due to time of year; blue: fridge/freezer, fish (in river/creek), fish smoker, fish in pond, hatchery, beehives, indicates unusually low level of activity for time of year. bear in trap, pet/pet food. Note: The “Total” column is the total number of complaint reports received for that month. The number in the “Total” row at bottom of the Attractants portion of the table may be greater than the number of complaints for each month because a caller may report more than one attractant. The percentage (%) row shows the % each attractant represents for the whole year, and may also add up to greater than 100%. Note that for September, the percentage of complaints for livestock was extremely high (19/89, or 21%). Comments from person reporting complaint Location types shoot don’t harm trap and asked for greenbelt school park commercial or food industrial (boathouse, APD, bear bear move bear Bear Aware outlet (2 malls, DQ, Somass mill, paper mill, Coulson info Smitty’s, McDonalds) mill, fish plant—all in Harbour area) 20 9 23 15 154 (30%) 18 (4%) 17 (3%) 23 37

Figure 5. Port Alberni Bear Attractants 2005 Attractants for year 2005 300 Category Number Garbage # of Reports Garbage 294 250 Fruit trees, grapes for attractant Fruit trees, grapes 85 200 Garden, compost Garden, compost 30 150 Livestock Livestock 27 Wild berries Wild berries 15 100 Other Other 89 50 N/A N/A 110 0 Attractant

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 24 Table 4. Analysis of 2006 complaints Month Type of complaint Attractants Total sighting nuisance property orphan, injured garbage fruit trees garden/ livestock wild other N/A only damage or dead bear or grapes compost berries Jan 4 2 1 1 4 23 8 Feb 1 1 1 Mar 1 2 1 3 1 4 Apr 12 5 2 1 11 2 3 6 20 May 91 32 9 2 89 2 3 14 32 128 Jun 25 8 1 25 1 3 8 34 Jul 4 5 1 5 2 6 2 10 Aug 10 8 1 7 1 1 1 2 8 20 Sep 18 4 3 2 13 4 2 12 9 27 Oct 35 12 4 35 12 1 3 14 52 Nov 21 4 4 17 11 3 9 29 Dec 22 20 4 2 34 1 3 3 9 48 Total 244 102 30 9 244 36 10 3 1 48 101 381 % 64% 27% 8% 2% 64% 9% 3% 1% 0 13% 27% Highlighting: yellow: vertical indicates high # of attractants; “Livestock” includes livestock feed. “Other” includes birdfeeders, outdoor horizontal indicates high activity for time of year; blue: fridge/freezer, fish smoker, fish in pond, hatchery, beehives, bear in trap, pet/pet indicates unusually low level of activity for time of year. food. Note: The “Total” column is the total number of complaints received for that month. The number in the “Total” row at bottom of table may be greater than the number of complaints for each month because caller may report more than one attractant. The percentage (%) row is for the whole year. Comments from person reporting complaint Location types shoot this don’t harm trap this asked for Bear greenbelt school park commercial/ food industrial (boathouse, APD, bear bear bear Aware info outlet (2 malls, DQ, Somass mill, paper mill, Coulson Smitty’s, McDonalds) mill, fish plant—all in Harbour area) 16 8 21 6 180 (47%) 17 (4%) 8 (2%) 19 27

Figure 6. Port Alberni Bear Attractants 2006 Attractants for year 2006 Category Number 250 Garbage Garbage 244 200 Fruit trees, grapes Fruit trees, grapes 36 Garden, compost Garden, compost 10 150 livestock 3 # of reports for livestock attractant 100 wild berries 1 wild berries other other 48 50 N/A 101 N/A 0 Attractant

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 25 Table 5 below and Figure 7 on p. 29 both include bear-people conflict data for 2007. Time constraints prevented collecting detailed information on the attractants and locations of the reports, as well as any analysis of the data. The total monthly numbers are included, however, to give as good an indication as possible of the trends. Table 5. Comparison of bear-people conflict activity for 2004-2007* Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total 2004 9 3 3 10 6 7 4 26 116 112 56 58 410 2005 8 0 1 1 60 91 32 41 89 99 52 31 505 2006 8 1 4 20 128 34 10 20 27 52 29 48 381 2007 7 0 0 10 38 59 28 44 43 150** 45** 45** 469** Total 25 4 8 31 194 132 46 87 232 263 137 137 1765 *Yellow indicates high activity for time of year compared to rest of that year; blue indicates low activity for time of year compared to rest of that year. **Data for 2007 is incomplete. Monthly totals for Oct-Dec are extrapolations based on 101 reports by 23 Oct, extrapolated to 150 for month (conservative estimate), and averages in previous years for Nov and Dec.

In the period 2004 to 2007, there was an average of 441 calls per year from Alberni residents to the Wildlife Call Centre in Victoria. Considering the number of calls logged represents only about 25% of actual interactions, it’s safe to assume that Alberni residents experienced an average of over 1700 conflicts with black bears in any single year during this period.

Table 6. Comparison of totals in categories of complaints and attractants for 2004-2006 Year Complaint type Type of attractant (number) sighting nuisance property orphaned, garbage fruit trees/ garden/ live- wild other N/A damage injured, or grapes compost stock berries dead bear 2004 249 112 30 22 220 101 29 13 18 41 140

2005 302 122 62 19 294 85 30 27 9 89 110

2006 244 102 30 9 244 36 10 3 1 48 101

Note: Yellow indicates high level of activity in that category/attractant type. “Other” includes barbecues, birdfeeders, pets/pet foods, fish in streams or ponds, fish smokers, beehives, outdoor freezer/fridge, bags of fruit or diaper pails on decks/porches, food in coolers or campsites, and calls to the local CO to inform him there is a bear in the trap set by the CO.

It is clear that garbage is by far the primary non-natural attractant in all years, followed by fruit trees. In most categories, 2004 and 2005 were exceptional years for bear-people conflicts in Port Alberni (2007 looks like one, too ). In fact, this was the case for the entire South Coast region, including Vancouver Island. This was very likely due to hot, dry weather very early on and throughout the summer in 2004 that caused early ripening and drying out of one of the black bear’s primary foods: wild berries. Bears in the region were forced to abandon their natural avoidance of people and move into settled areas in search of food. They found it in the easy accessibility of garbage, and in urban fruit trees and gardens. Because of their incredible ability to learn and remember, they were predisposed to repeating this behaviour in subsequent years. This is apparent for garbage as a percentage of attractants in 2005 (58%, up 4% from 2004), with a further increase in 2006 (64%, up 6% from 2005). Note also the reversed use of fruit trees as the second major attractant in all years, decreasing from 25% in 2004, to 17% in 2005, to 9% in 2006. This inverse relationship can be interpreted to show a steadily increasing reliance on garbage as the principal reason bears come into conflict with people in urban areas.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 26 3.4.1 Complaints by neighbourhood hotspots and attractant(s) While the reported attractant in any instance may be of greatest concern for the person making the report, in many cases, other attractants are likely also significant for bringing a bear to a particular location (e.g., livestock and accessible feed in rural areas, which represent a staging location for bears to come into the city, and where gardens and garbage are also present). Certain types of locations are more prone than others for attracting bears. These include riparian areas, power- and railway lines, parks, and other greenbelts. As well, for probably hundreds of bear generations, the region’s bear population had used “traditional” movement corridors from the mountains, down the streams and natural geographic features, to the lakeshores and valley bottom feeding areas on a seasonal basis. Many of these have been built over and otherwise are now in human use, but the bears still know these travel routes because they are embedded into their behavioural patterns (and memory). Even when areas are almost totally paved and built over, and historic levels of fish presence are considerably reduced, when there is such a powerful attractant as garbage, bears will still come to the area to seek food (bears can smell garbage from well over a mile away), particularly during the important hyperphagic fall pre-denning season. The percentage of complaints by residents on and near greenbelts increased from a low of 22% in 2004, to 30% in 2005, and a high of 47% in 2006. People living along and near greenbelts, and those using public trails, walkways, and parks, must be made aware of how to be safe in these areas. The city needs to pay particular attention to garbage management in these locations. As well as greenbelts, safety is also a major concern at schools (section 3.5.2). An average of 5% of all complaints are due to bears being on or near schools. Table 7 below lists the hotspot neighbourhoods for the period 2004-2006 (information on locations for 2007 was too limited to include it here). The writer has also produced three large format maps of the city (for presentation purposes) that show the distribution of bear-people conflicts for 2004, 2005, and 2006. Data points (for the maps inserted after p. 29 and the table below) were generalised to the nearest hundred-block of the street and then presented in a range (e.g., 1000-1300 such and such street). Sometimes the only locator given was generalised, such as “at Victoria Quay” or “on the Kitsuksis Walkway” or “running across Stamp Ave near the paper mill.” The table shows only those locations that logged five or more calls in each year. This information shows which neighbourhoods have problems year after year, and is especially useful for determining bear travel corridors, to target neighbourhoods for intensive education, and for focused garbage management, such as designing pilot projects to determine which methods and equipment are the most effective both for reducing the number of bear- people conflicts and to keeping costs within acceptable limits.

Table 7. Hotspot neighbourhoods for years 2004-2006

Year Neighbourhood # of 2400-3800 blocks 4th Ave (most in 2500- 12 calls 2600 blocks) 2004 2400-4200 10th Ave, excluding “the Dip” 7 2500-3500 blocks 5th Ave (most at Weaver 7 “10th Avenue Dip” 5 Park area, 2700 block) 2200-3100 blocks 11th Ave 5 2600-4100 blocks 6th Ave 9 2500-3500 blocks 12th Ave 7 3000-3900 blocks 7th Ave 6 2100-3500 blocks Anderson Ave (most in 10 3600-5400 blocks Argyle St 6 2100-2300 blocks) Beaver Creek Rd (most Batstar-Marina area) 9 2200-3600 blocks 14th Ave 9 2500-4300 blocks Bruce St 8 2200-2500 blocks 15th Ave 8 Harbour Quay/general Harbour area 12 2500-3000 blocks 1st Ave 9 4900-5000 blocks Melrose St 11 2500-3100 blocks 2nd Ave 5 3600-4900 blocks Neill St 6 2500-3000 blocks 3rd Ave 7 5200-6000 blocks River Rd 7

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 27 Roger St from Victoria Quay to 6th Ave 6 3700-4500 blocks Wallace St 5 Stamp Ave from Roger St to Redford St 6 5700 block Watson Rd 5 5700 block Tebo Ave (all at one location) 8 2006 2400-4400 blocks 10th Ave (six at “the dip”) 10 5000-5200 blocks Wilkinson Rd 5 2500-3500 blocks 11th Ave 5 2005 10th Ave “Dip” (all but two reports) 12 2200-2700 blocks 15th Ave 11 2200-3800 blocks 11th Ave 11 2500-3600 blocks 17th Ave 7 2400-3500 blocks 12th Ave 6 2600-3900 blocks 3rd Ave 11 2200-2700 blocks Anderson Ave 10 2500-3900 blocks 5th Ave 8 2300-3000 blocks 14th Ave (most in 2300- 9 2600-4800 blocks 6th Ave 11 2400 blocks) 2500-4800 blocks 8th Ave 11 2300-2700 blocks 15th Ave 9 3700 block Argyle Way 7 3500-3600 blocks 17th Ave 7 4900 block Broughton St 5 2600-3900 blocks 3rd Ave 6 3600-3800 blocks Bruce St (8 in 3700 block) 12 2700-3900 blocks 5th Ave 7 2600-4000 blocks Burde St 9 2400-4800 blocks 6th Ave 10 2100-2200 blocks Cameron Dr 8 2600-3500 7th Ave 9 4100 block Clegg Cres South 5 2500-3900 blocks 8th Ave 5 4100-4900 blocks Dunbar St 7 2300-3200 blocks 9th Ave 6 4400-4900 blocks Elizabeth St 7 Harbour Quay and general Harbour area 6 3500-3600 blocks Estevan Dr 6 Argyle St (two at Harbour Quay area and 13 15 4300-5200 blocks Gertrude St 5 in the 3700-3900 blocks) Harbour Quay and Port Authority terminal 5 3700 block Argyle Way 18 2400-2500 blocks Hilton Ave 6 3600-3700 blocks Bishop Cres 6 3900-4100 blocks Johnston Rd 5 5100-3600 blocks Bruce St 6 4100-4200 blocks Kendall Ave 7 2700-4700 blocks Burde St (half at 4000 blk) 11 4000-5000 blocks Montrose St 6 5700 block Cherry Creek Rd (near new mall) 6 3900-4900 blocks Morton St 5 5000-6200 Compton Rd 6 3200 block Port Alberni Hwy 7 3900 block Dunsmuir St 5 Redford St between 3rd Ave and WCGH 6 4400-4900 blocks Elizabeth St 8 Roger St from 3rd/Stamp to Anderson Ave 6 3500-3600 blocks Estevan Dr 5 Stamp Ave from Redford to Roger Sts 5 Falls St in vicinity of Paper Mill Dam Park 5 4800-5200 blocks Gertrude St 6 5100-5400 blocks Golden St 15 5200-5300 blocks Indian Ave 5 4100 block Kendall Ave 6 3600-4800 blocks Maitland St 7 2200 block Mallory Dr 5 4700-5300 blocks Margaret St 5 4500 block North Park Dr 5 5000-5200 blocks Pineo and Pleasant Rds 7 4200-4700 blocks Southgate Rd 6 Stamp Ave from Roger to Redford Sts 9

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 28 In addition to the above, there were a number of reports concentrated on different streets surrounding West Coast General Hospital, the Wood St-Echo Field House/Echo Centre-Fir Park Village area, the Kitsuksis Walkway between Arrowsmith St and where Gertrude St meets Compton Rd, in the vicinity of North Island College and McKnight St where new residential development is taking place, at the top of Burde St where there is also new residential development, in the Cameron Heights/Ship Creek area, and nearby at the south end of the harbour area near the Coulson and APD sawmills. 3.4.2 Patterns and trends revealed by the data Looking at the three maps inserted after this page, which show the locations of bear-people conflicts for each of the years 2004, 2005, and 2006, it is evident that residents in South Port report significantly greater numbers of interactions with bears than do North Port residents. In both areas, however, the primary locations generating reports are adjacent to, or within one to two blocks, of creek corridors, including buried creeks (e.g., Treehouse Creek in South Port). These creeks, from south to north, are Ship Creek, Dry/Owatchet Creek (and tributaries), Roger Creek, Kitsuksis Creek, Lugrin Creek, and, of course, along the Somass River and estuary. Additional major areas of concern are adjacent to developed/undeveloped “edge” areas, such as around the Maquinna Woods, top of Burde Street, near McKnight Street and North Island College, Sahara Heights, Cameron Heights, and Westporte areas. Figure 7 shows there are two annual spikes in bear-people conflicts. The first and lower spike occurs in spring; the second and higher spike occurs in autumn. A number of anomalies can be seen in the graph: 2004 had only one spike (late summer through autumn), but a high number of reports continued to the end of the year. For 2005, the year with the most reports overall, the graph clearly shows the two “normal” annual spikes, and a normal fall-off for the month of December. The data for 2006 shows a clear reverse in the spikes, with a very high spike for the month of May, then a general fall off and only a low “spike” for October, a lull in November, then another rise in December. The more normal pattern of two annual spikes re-occurs in 2007, with the spring spike being smaller than the one in autumn. Some of these anomalies can likely be attributable to variations in annual weather patterns (and how these affect the availability of wild and domestic fruits). Some, however, particularly the high spike in May 2006, may relate more to two major factors: the easy availability of non-natural attractants, specifically garbage and domestic fruit (trees and grape vines); and the high ability of black bears to learn and remember where these non-natural attractants occur.

Figure 7. Comparison of bear-people conflict activity 2004-2007 160 140 120 100 80 60 40

# of Reports for Month 20 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2004 2005 2006 2007

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 29 3.4.3 Complaints in prior years Data on complaints, as well as on the number of bears destroyed and translocated, for years prior to 2004 was only available in a very limited amount. Some aspect of the number of complaints from year to year is cyclical, with the main variables seeming to be a combination of regional weather conditions and current government policy on whether or not to remove and relocate (translocate) bears, or to destroy them. Increased experience and understanding of bear behaviour and ecology points to the futility of moving bears to new locations. In the first place, there may be no good bear habitat available. Secondly, they often end up back in conflict with people within a year or two. Another important reason for not relocating them is because they frequently cannot survive in the new habitat. Either they are killed or out-competed by a larger, more successful bear, or the habitat is not rich or diverse enough to support them and they starve to death. The other important variable is the degree to which areas on the edge of or outside of towns have been altered, largely by new developments or industrial uses. These only present a greater probability of bringing bears into increased conflict with people. Regardless of the variables or cyclic nature of the phenomenon, it is clear that complaints in the years 2004-2007 indicate an upward trend overall, with 2005 showing the highest number of complaints received (505). That there were fewer complaints in 2006 can likely be attributed to two main factors: more “normal” weather patterns, allowing bears to find more seasonal wild foods at the usual time of year, and the high profile that bear-people conflict received in the local media.

3.5 Specific Hazards and Potential Risks One of the primary purposes of the Bear Smart Community Program is to increase safety for residents. The following sections describe the hazards and potential risks for bear-people conflict in parks (provincial, regional, municipal) and trails, and at schools. There are also significant hazards in industrial and commercial areas, such as in the harbour area, at malls, restaurants, fast-food outlets, and food stores, and at institutional and multiple-dwelling housing complexes due largely to poor garbage handling. Most of the hazards can be reduced or eliminated when bear-proof waste management is put into place. In the case of parks and trails, additional practices, such as increasing visibility around play areas, brushing out trails, and effective signage and public information, can also reduce potential risks. Where possible, a hazard rating was assigned.

3.5.1 Surveys of parks Parks and trails are assessed for public safety considerations in these categories: visibility around play areas and along trails; proximity to riparian areas, known bear travel corridors, and greenbelts; adequate signage related to the presence (or possible presence) of bears; and placement and design of garbage receptacles. 3.5.1.1 City of Port Alberni The City of Port Alberni has 26 parks, including sports playfields and centralised facilities, such as the Alberni Valley Multiplex/Glenwood and Echo Park complex (including Echo Field House, Bob Dailey track and stadium, the Fall Fair Grounds, Penny Lane, and Russell Fields). The south and west sides of this large complex are surrounded by residential areas. The northeast and east sides, however, are on the edge of development and the Roger Creek riparian area, which is a known bear travel corridor (see Figure 11 on following page). Not all 26 parks were surveyed in detail, due primarily to time constraints, but all were visited at least once. A summary of the hazard assessment follows in table 8. Where photos elucidate comments in the table, these are all on the two pages following the table. Virtually all these parks have the same hazard concerns, so recommendations for making all the parks “bear-proof/safe” are listed in section 4.0.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 30 Figure 11. Alberni Valley Multiplex/Echo Park recreation complex

Source: http://www.city.port-alberni.bc.ca/ParksRec/CityParks/index.htm

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 31 Table 8. Summary of hazard survey of Port Alberni city parks Port Alberni City Parks Hazard # Park Name Conditions, Potential Bear Hazard rating At the top of Argyle Street on south side. Dumpster here has metal lids and was Black Sheep Rugby locked at time of visit. Forested at the back and on the east side, where there is a low to ravine, but there is a new residential development currently in construction 1 Field moderate immediately east on the other side of the ravine, and a more or less completed new 3420 Argyle St development across the street on the north. Some bear foods, including blackberries, occur here, but mostly in only a thin strip that is very visible to the rugby field. This park is situated on the east side of the lower/middle portion of the Kitsuksis Walkway. Bears are frequently sighted in this area (see write-up on the walkway). The rest of the area is residential and there are gardens and fruit trees, as well as “wild” Blair Park low to 2 blackberries nearby. The park itself has few bear foods and excellent visibility moderate 5095 Pineo Rd throughout. Hid-a-bag bins are not secure, so are not bear-proof; city empties them once a week. In the past year, at least one bear has been shot by COs in this general area because of complaints by residents. While the general area is near a bear travel corridor, there is excellent visibility at the Bob Dailey Stadium low to stadium and on the track. Nearby Hid-a-bag bins are not bear-proof. Adjacent to 3 Vimy & Roger St moderate Glenwood Centre, which has events that may have food and garbage dumpsters, but these are emptied at the end of each event day. Backed by and across the street from dense trees and understorey (see photo); fronted by and on one side by residential. Open barrel garbage can, empty, near edge of cover. No litter in park. Plenty of bear foods present: salal, huckleberry, Oregon Cameron Heights Park low to grape, mushrooms, wild rose (hips). No visibility around picnic table. Two young 4 2121 Cameron Dr moderate residents said they saw the “occasional bear,” sometimes get into people’s garbage. Playset has good visibility immediately surrounding it, but person supervising children, if sitting at the picnic table (the only place to sit in t his park), would not see a bear coming from the forest behind them until practically at playset. Near Ship Creek. Contains important bear travel corridor along riparian area, which also has trails used by people; fairly dense forest and understorey with lots of blackberries and some salmonberries; fish in creek (see photos); 5-ft chainlink fence mostly around 2 horseshoe pitches, fenced front of field, no playset, portable outhouse, two haul-all Dry Creek Park moderate type single bins, 1 open barrel garbage can, locked dumpster w/metal lids. Park is on 5 3501 Quadrant St to high a flat area surrounded on S and N by steep-sided slopes, above which are residential areas, some with fruit trees throughout the neighbourhoods. Park is also directly across street from city recycling depot, which has open access, and behind 3rd Street area that has a number of restaurants and fast-food outlets that have dumpsters. Bears are frequently sighted in this area. Northeast and east sides most vulnerable to bear presence, especially east side Echo Park complex low to 6 adjacent to housing complexes on Kendall Ave, where garbage is largely unsecured, moderate Wallace/Wood Streets poorly managed, and is backed further to the east by a large greenbelt area. Situated in a residential area; park grounds are open, low chainlink fence along 10th 11th Avenue Park only, neighbourhood fences on two sides, no fence along 11th. Good visibility 7 low throughout park, no understorey present, no bear foods present; didn’t see any fruit 2549 10th Ave trees in neighbouring yards. Hid-a-bag bin, not locked, no latch on back, quite stinky even though empty, located immediately adjacent to play area. Glenwood Park 8 low Part of the greater Echo Park/Multiplex complex. 4453 9th Ave

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 32 Large city park with “old” arena and youth centre buildings, tennis courts, lacrosse court, playfields, and children’s playset. Good visibility around playset area, but there are two non-secured hid-a-bag garbage cans in the playset area (see photo), except Gyro/Recreation Park low to from houses across the street on the S side. Lots of clover in the grassy areas 9 3245 7th Ave moderate throughout. High fence around tennis courts, otherwise this park is unfenced; surrounded by residential area on three sides, across the street on N side is Dry Creek corridor, a known bear-use greenbelt; the dumpster close to the youth centre building on concrete area has metal lid, but was not locked. On the waterfront at the foot of Argyle Street and at the top of Alberni Inlet, near the estuary. Quay has restaurants, a fish market, and the weekend Farmers Market. The restaurants all have outdoor eating patios. About 12 Hid-a-bag bins located throughout, none bear-proof, some locked at the back and some not. Two large dumpsters provided by the City are in the Farmers Market area (see photo); they have plastic lids, not locked at time of visit. The largest restaurant has its grease stored in plastic cans enclosed inside a high chainlink fence on the north side that has three strands of barbed wire at the top; the largest stretch of these is compressed down, as if something, such as a bear, crawled over the top. There was a bear walking through the main part of the Quay about 4-5 weeks ago. The proprietors I spoke to were not Harbour Quay moderate 10 concerned, but visitors tend to get very excited, mostly afraid, and this can be a to high 5440 Argyle St potentially dangerous situation. There is a large play area that has good visibility, but there is a low, thick salal hedge nearby on the south side and it is immediately adjacent to the shoreline, where a bear could climb up the rocks and directly into the play area. Beside it are outlets that cook fish and other meats and have a very inviting smell, not just for visitors, but for bears, too. There was a bear under the pier last year that had to be shot because there were so many people around, lots of excitement and picture-taking, not a good situation. There are also a fuel terminal, ship-building company, the Lady Rose dock, marina, and other potential sources of attractants, particularly if these companies are not careful with their garbage. On the far south side of the area are a parking lot and docks where large fish bins are stacked. The Walkway is a paved 3+-km loop around the lower section of Kitsuksis Creek, which empties into the Somass Estuary at Clutesi Marina. The north end of the loop has trails on the west side that lead off into unpaved and unofficial trails through bush. These areas are densely forested and have lots of bear foods, including huckleberries, Oregon grape, salal, fungi, and in season, fish in the creek and tributaries. There is a steep waterfall and the railroad trestle at this end. The other end Kitsuksis Walkway is flat and open and sports a mini-golf area, a restaurant, a large parking area, the Arrowsmith & Margaret “old” arena (which has a number of events throughout the year), two gas stations, a moderate city pump works, a footbridge, and some semi-wild areas, one of which is a popular 11 Sts at south end, Compton at Gertrude to high birding area. In between are a number of benches and, on the east side part way up and Spencer Sts at from the more developed end, is Blair Park, which has playsets, playfields, and a north end. picnic shelter. On the northwest side, below the Gertrude St bridge, is a large patch of blackberries, a small swampy area, and an area of wildflowers that offer minimal bear foods (northern rice-root, Fritillaria camschatcensis). The walkway also has at least five single Hid-a-bag type garbage cans spaced out along both sides. These are not bear-proof because they have no latch mechanisms at the top, because they are unlocked at the back, and because they are not bolted to cement pads. (See also write-ups on Blair Park and on nearby housing developments.) Kiwanis Park 12 Not surveyed in detail, but near Maquinna Woods and other greenbelt areas. 3627 16th Ave This park is surrounded by residential areas and is generally wide open with good Klitsa Park low to 13 visibility. There are pear trees along the back and one side near residential area that moderate 4000 Compton Rd residents said have attracted bears in past seasons. Paper Mill Dam Park 14 moderate Not surveyed in detail. Falls Rd & Georgia Rd

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 33 Small park on edge of Somass River. Bears could come up the bank, where, in spring River Road Park low to 15 and summer, there is good shrub cover. The playset has good visibility. The Hid-a-bag moderate 6038 River Rd bins are not secured or locked, so are not bear-proof. This park has two main parts: the large playset and waterpark area at the corner of Pemberton and Gertrude, and the riparian area along Pemberton. The riparian portion is used for picnics and has a shelter and tables throughout, as well as five or six non- bear-proof Hid-a-bag bins, some locked and some not. The back of one was partially open (see photo). The riparian area is mostly open with large old bigleaf maples and only lawn, but the area immediately adjacent to the creek has blackberries, Roger Creek Park huckleberries, Oregon grape, and salmonberries—quite dense in some places. The 16 moderate Gertrude at Pemberton east “end” of the park has a RR bridge crossing Roger Creek. There are bears reported here fairly regularly. On the day of my visit, a mink was seen at the edge of the creek. The waterpark/play area has fairly good visibility, but there are garbage cans too close to the equipment, and there is a fairly dense area of salmonberries and other bear foods behind it on the south side. Between the picnic shelter and play area is a dense patch of understorey that has short trails through it from the Pemberton St side down to the edge of the creek. There are bear foods growing here, as well. Russell Park low to 17 Part of the greater Echo Park complex. 4250 Wallace St moderate Seaton Park moderate Not surveyed, but during seasons when fish are present, has high potential to attract 18 Hector Rd to high bears; alongside the Somass River in rural area. Somass Park moderate Not surveyed, but during seasons when fish are present, has high potential to attract 19 Hector & Service Rds to high bears; alongside the Somass River in rural area. This park is immediately adjacent to the north end of the Kitsuksis Walkway, has Spencer Park 20 moderate considerable understorey containing bear foods in summer and fall. The residential 5100 Spencer St area has reported problems with bears getting into garbage. Stirling Field moderate This play field is adjacent to the Kitsuksis Walkway and commercial and food outlets. 21 4811 Beaver Creek Rd to high It is also adjacent to a tributary of Lugrin Creek and may have fish in it in fall. This linear park runs along the Somass Estuary. The east side is lined with commercial businesses, including food stores and restaurants. The Roger Creek (another bear corridor) estuary empties into the Somass at the south end of the Quay. The other side of the estuary is undeveloped primarily marshland that is a dedicated Victoria Quay Park moderate bird sanctuary. This is where visitors and residents come specifically hoping to view 22 4586 Victoria Quay to high bears across the water (see photos on p. 55). In fall, when fish are present, there have been as many as four bears seen fishing along the far bank. Bears occasionally swim across the estuary here and have access to the garbage at restaurants (PWOR data supports this). They also move up and down the Roger Creek corridor, which gives them access to and from the bush on the east side of town. Located in a residential area near downtown, this park is moderately treed along its south side, where there is also a ravine and buried creek bed. The playfield and playset are on the north side of the ravine and there is no understorey present, good Weaver Park low to 23 visibility. The Hid-a-bag bin adjacent to the sidewalk on 5th St has no latch on back, moderate 2700-block 5th Ave so is not bear-proof. There was considerable litter on the ground around it. Local resident said in 50 years he has seen few bears, although PWOR data shows sow and 2 cubs seen here on more than one occasion in 2005 and 2006. Small children’s play park in newish residential development, close to a “wild” interface Westporte Place North low to area. 1 Hid-a-bag, unsecured. Playset is in the open with good visibility, except for 24 Park moderate wooden fence immediately behind it. Connects to west end of block near Westporte 5578 Woodland Cres Place South Park by a fenced-in footpath. Westporte Place South While this larger park is wide open and has full visibility around play areas, it is across low to 25 Park the street from a greenbelt, is adjacent to Rainbow Gardens Care Facility, which has moderate 5330 Russell St commercial dumpsters, and very close to the greenbelt behind Rainbow Gardens. 26 Williamson Park low This park has good visibility throughout. Surrounded by commercial and residential 5081 Bishop Ave areas; little to attract bears unless nearby commercial dumpsters become a problem.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 34 While not listed as a city park, Maquinna Woods is situated from south of Argyle Street near the top (east) end, all the way over to the far south end of town. This is the greenbelt area that is adjacent to some of the city schools (E.J. Dunn Middle School, Maquinna Elementary) and that backs the residential areas in the southeast border of the city. These woods are used extensively by city residents for recreational and “shortcut” purposes, and many portions have wide, hard-surfaced footpaths suitable for pushing baby strollers and bicycle use. The trails are mostly well-brushed out, especially after the winter storms of 2006, where many trees fell down and have since been removed.

Photos above and left taken at Harbour Quay: Farmers Market, beside restaurant, and at playset area. The bars on the dumpsters are down, which means the plastic lids can be easily lifted by a curious bear.

Photos below taken at Dry Creek Park show berries on slope above creek leading up to residential area and open garbage barrel chained to a tree beside the footpath.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 35 Photo left: Gyro Park, shows unsecured Hid-a-bag beside picnic table and adjacent to play area.

Photo below: Cameron Heights Park, shows garbage barrel and picnic table at forest edge, bear could approach along path on left or from behind picnic table without being seen.

Photo left: Roger Creek Park, shows unsecured Hid-a-bag not locked at back. Photo below shows dense riparian area and trestle, used by people as a walkway.

Photo below: Kitsuksis Walkway, northwest side above foot- bridge where “unofficial” trails lead above riparian area having lots of bear foods, plus fish in creek during fall. Photo below right shows Kitsuksis Walkway beside Blair Park.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 36 3.5.1.2 Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District parks, trails, and sites near Port Alberni29 All of the following regional parks and trails have some degree of wilderness or semi-wilderness characteristics. Black bears, among other species of wildlife (including cougars and wolves), range throughout these areas. Public use of these parks and trails by both locals and visitors—while not under the jurisdiction of the City of Port Alberni (except a small portion of the Log Train Trail)—is fairly high, and steadily increasing. None of these were assessed for this report.

Mt. Arrowsmith Regional Park Mount Arrowsmith is a prominent visual focal point for most of the central portion of Vancouver Island. Access to the mountain is by a gravel logging road that starts near the summit of Highway 4, about 10 kms east of Port Alberni, then approximately 20 kms in from the highway. Access is also via a logging road off the Bamfield Road/Franklin River area south of Port Alberni. The park is on the east and west sides of Mt. Cokely in the Nanaimo Regional District. The public has access through the park using trails such as the Rousseau Trail and the Arrowsmith Trail. A long-time park user said, “While I don’t believe there is much bear habitat available at that altitude (1000 m), there are some patches of blueberries and crowberries that bears would eat. There is still some old-growth on the lower Rousseau Trail that bears may use for denning habitat, and there are a few swampy ponds with skunk cabbage. In the dozens and dozens of times I’ve hiked that area, I’ve never seen a bear.” (J. Carlson, personal communication, Aug 2007)

Sproat Lake (Electoral Area D) The Sproat Lake Parks Commission operates two parks: Cougar Smith Park and Faber Road Park, and a network of public trails around the Sproat Lake area. There are bears and bear habitats here, as well as potential for bears to access residential garbage.

Log Train Trail The Log Train Trail is a well-used linear trail, a large portion of which is leased to the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District by the Highways ministry. The trail runs for 26 kms along the foot of the Beaufort Range and is accessible from some points within the city limits. The trail is used by walkers, joggers, horseback riders, and bicyclists. While the lease specifies non-motorised use, there is unauthorised dirt bike and ATV use. The trail crosses many creeks and runs adjacent to farms, residential areas, wetlands, and active logging areas. All potentially offer garbage attractants; agricultural areas have livestock attractants. The central part of the trail is adjacent to McLean Mill National Historic Site, where there is a café, garbage cans and a commercial dumpster, a fish hatchery, and tributary trails. The trail is heavily used by residents and visitors, and has some organised mountain-biking and running events on it and tributary trails. A Figure 12. Map of Log Train Trail, a regional trail. Reprinted from the Alberni Valley Trail Guide, courtesy of Rick Avis and the Alberni Environmental Coalition. 29 http://www.acrd.bc.ca/; 250-720-2700

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 37 local group, Friends of the Log Train Trail, maintains the trail and conducts walks that include public information on bear safety.

Other parks and trails in the area There are many informal trails throughout the Alberni Valley, some of which are accessible from within or near the city limits. A volunteer group published the Alberni Valley Trail Guide, which lists 20 trails and has information on avoiding conflicts with wildlife, including bears. The guide is part of an ongoing project that has mapped about 110 trails within and beyond city limits. A spokesperson says: “We would like to see the boardwalk that the Hupacasath and the city have put in at Victoria Quay linked to the Log Train Trail via a new trail along Roger Creek. There is interest in linking the Log Train Trail to the Horne Lake Trail, an extension of the National Trail from Courtenay to the Log Train Trail linking to a new trail down the Alberni Inlet, and eventually linked to trails near Cowichan Lake and the Galloping Goose Trail between Victoria and Sooke.” [source: http://www.westcoaster.ca/] 3.5.1.3 BC Provincial Parks There are four provincial parks in the vicinity of Port Alberni: Stamp River, Taylor Arm, Sproat Lake, and Fossli. None were assessed for this report. While all are small, they are well-used for a variety of recreational activities, including camping, fishing, swimming, windsurfing, and water-skiing. There is also a considerable cultural and natural history contingent (of both residents and visitors) that uses the various park and nearby wilderness trails. Bears, wolves, and cougars may be encountered at any time in any of these parks and trails. The park operator is RLC Enterprize Ltd., phone: 250-474-1336, email: [email protected]; mid-island contact: Brad Ashdown, 248-1134 (Parksville). Source for the information below is on the BC parks website: www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/.

Figure 13. BC Provincial Parks in the Alberni Area, courtesy BC Parks website www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 38 Stamp River Provincial Park—327 ha This riverside park has 23 campsites and a main hiking trail that weaves through the forest, past the rapids and waterfall. Named for the pioneer who built Port Alberni’s earliest sawmill, this park is a fusion of Stamp Falls and Money’s Pool provincial parks. One of the park’s main attractions is the annual run of Pacific salmon (sockeye, coho, and chinook) circling in the pool below Stamp Falls before ascending the fish ladders on their way to spawning beds. Lookout points offer views of the salmon fighting their way up the falls and fish ladders. This natural phenomenon occurs every year, starting in late August with sockeye and continuing with coho and Chinook right into December. In addition to a large number of people, the salmon also attract black bears. While fishing within park boundaries is not permitted, this park is a popular base camp for anglers fishing other parts of the Stamp River, as well as visitors travelling to and from the west coast of the Island. Dogs are required to be on a leash at all times in the park. Stamp River is the main park where bears have higher potential to be a problem because of the high numbers of fish during their various spawning seasons. This park is heavily used by camping fishers during those times. If a bear is reported in the park, the operator posts a “bear in area” sign, and keeps it up for about three days, then removes it if the bear goes away. Most of the bears seen in this park are generally on the other side of the river from the campground. The park operator does not provide any other public information about bears or how to prevent problems with bears, although this information is available on the BC Parks website (where people also access information about making reservations). While there are no bear-proof caches or lockers in the campground, there have recently been two Haul- all bear-proof bins installed to service 23 campsites. These bins were provided by Rollins Machinery in Langley BC, which also provides the City of Port Alberni with bear-proof bins. The bins are regularly emptied into a large commercial dumpster which, while not bear-proof specifically, does have a heavy metal lid. The operator said the lid is not kept locked unless a problem with a bear getting into the dumpster is reported. The dumpster is emptied when full.

Sproat Lake Provincial Park 43 hectares Located 15 minutes west of Port Alberni, Sproat Lake is a popular park for swimming, fishing, water- skiing, and windsurfing. This park is heavily used by city residents. The Martin Mars water bombers— the largest in the world—are based at the lake, and this attracts a number of visitors from outside the area. The park has two separate campgrounds, a large day-use area, and three picnic sites. The forest here is Douglas fir and western redcedar. The lower campground is located close to the lake. The upper campground is located across the highway from the lake and is connected to the lower campground and beach access by a trail that leads through a highway underpass. A variety of short access trails go around the park, including a trail to the eastern end of Sproat Lake, which has one of the finest panels of prehistoric petroglyphs in British Columbia. This park does not have a playground. Pets must be on a leash and under control at all times. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears. There are no bear-proof bins at this park.

Taylor Arm Provincial Park 71 hectares Taylor Arm Provincial Park is located 23 km northwest of Port Alberni. The park’s main purpose is to provide group camping facilities close to the shores of Sproat Lake. The three group campsites are located across the highway from the lake. A trail to the lake and beach leads through a highway underpass and takes approximately 10 minutes. This park does not have a playground. There are opportunities for lake fishing at this park, and, as with all the parks in this region, dogs must be kept leashed due to the potential for problems with bears.

Fossli Provincial Park 52 hectares Fossli is strictly a day-use park. Situated on the south side of Stirling Arm on Sproat Lake, this undeveloped park has a beautiful walking trail. The 30-minute route leads through second-growth forest

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 39 to an old homestead site on Sproat Lake. The park has a picnic table and a pit toilet. There are opportunities for lake fishing here, but there is no playground nor is any hunting allowed. Dogs are required to be on a leash at all times due to the potential for problems with bears. 3.5.1.4 National Parks and National Historic Sites Pacific Rim National Park Reserve This national park reserve has three components: Long Beach, the West Coast Trail, and Broken Group Islands. Road access to Long Beach is through Port Alberni. Access to the northern portion of the West Coast Trail is by the road to Bamfield, which starts in Port Alberni, and one route of access to the Broken Group is by the MV Lady Rose or MV Frances Barkley, both of which have their headquarters dock at Harbour Quay in Port Alberni. Pacific Rim NPR has active and effective waste management and public education programs about safety in “bear country.” One of the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District’s two regional landfills is located in the Long Beach component of the park. The park advises the public to “Keep pets on a leash and children close to the group: predators such as black bears and cougars call the rainforest their home. Make noise to warn them that you are in the area. Keep your group together and back out of the area if you see a predator. For more information see the You are in Bear Country and The Cougar Fact Sheet links on the park’s website (http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn- np/bc/pacificrim/index_e.asp).

McLean Mill National Historic Site The site encompasses 12.5 ha, and has about 4 kms of trails, most in the open, and a short one through dense bush. Fish streams (Kitsuksis Creek, side-channels and tributaries) and wetlands occur, and bears use these habitats primarily during fall, when there are fewer visitors. The central section of the Log Train Trail is nearby, and there are adjacent side trails. A volunteer group operates a salmon hatchery on site. The hatchery and on-site café present opportunities for bears to have access to garbage; however, the people who manage these areas are knowledgeable about attractant issues and waste management is well- contained. Site personnel say they’ve never had problems with bears, and only the Figure 14. Map of McLean Mill National Historic Site, courtesy of the heritage section of the City of Port Alberni website: www.alberniheritage.com/mill/ occasional sighting by a visitor is reported. The site is typical of a coastal lumber camp and sawmill complex from the middle of the 20th century and was named a National Historic Site in 1989 [source: N. Malbon, Park Administrator, and www.alberniheritage.com/mill/].

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 40 3.5.2 Surveys of schools There are ten public schools in Port Alberni (eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one senior secondary school, and one alternative school), all in School District #70. Most are located in good bear habitat. Nine were surveyed and assessed (VAST was not assessed). The following table will be provided to the district superintendent for distribution to the schools. Since recommendations to effectively bear-proof each of the school grounds are so similar, they are listed in section 4.0. All could benefit from a coordinated effort with surrounding residential areas to bear-proof the neighbourhoods. Most of the schools had one or more problem areas or practices associated with waste management and landscaping plants that could be remedied to increase the safety of both students and staff (and, in some cases, for parents dropping off young children at elementary schools or nearby daycare centres). Many had dumpsters with plastic lids; at many, the lids were not kept locked; and at some, dumpsters were located immediately adjacent to play areas. They all need to have bear-proof dumpsters and garbage cans, or empty or bring smaller cans indoors at the end of each day. Playsets at some of the schools were ill-situated too close to dense cover, berry patches, or fishbearing creeks. Some playsets were not easily visible from school windows, and at others, the fencing was either too low, had breaks and openings to allow bears easy access (some even placed dumpsters or open garbage barrels at openings in fences), or only partially enclosed the playsets or playing fields. All playsets at elementary schools should be in the open, away from wooded areas and creeks that give cover and allow movement of bears, and be clearly visible from school windows. There should be playground supervision when children are playing during school hours (school staff reported that this is the case). Some of the schools were adjacent to neighbourhood situations that presented additional problems with garbage management outside of the responsibility of the school district. All schools need to remove bear foods, including landscaping attractants, from and immediately adjacent to school grounds. Bear Smart information should be included in the curriculum or presented to students and staff at least twice-yearly (early fall and spring). The following school listings give individual hazard ratings and, in the spirit of “a picture is worth a thousand words,” two pages of photos follow the table that show the good and not-so-good practices at some of the schools. In addition to conditions and practices on and around the schools, assigned hazard ratings also reflect the level of awareness of school staff of what causes bear-people conflicts and the proactive measures they may be taking to reduce or eliminate the potential for problems. Table 9. Hazard survey of schools in Port Alberni (SD #70) School/Address hazard rating Comments Elementary schools Alberni Elementary School: K-5 low to low- East edge of school grounds (back) not fenced, lead upslope to RR tracks; slope / French Immersion moderate covered in berries, wild rose (hips). Dumpster at back (east) of school at edge of 724-0623 hazard in berry ball court has plastic lids, not locked; beside it is a Hid-a-bag bin. Also a Hid-a- 4645 Helen Street, season bag at play area in front of school. Hid-a-bag on ball court on south side of Port Alberni, BC, V9Y 6P6 school was locked at back. School grounds very clean, no litter; children eat lunches and snacks indoors. Small amount of bear foods on school grounds (e.g., cotoneaster along front of building with red berries, blackberries and wild roses on north side near fence, and blackberries at back corner near Johnston Rd.). Older play area adjacent to Johnston Rd has two open barrel-type garbage cans, but principal said they are rarely used. This playset and one near front entrance to school both have good visibility from school windows. This school also has a daycare. All children are supervised during play times.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 41 Eighth Avenue School: K-5 low to low- VP said a bear was sighted a block away about a week and a half ago. Bears 723-7631 moderate occasionally sighted in general area. Dumpster at back of school has metal lids, 2941 - 8th. Ave., hazard in berry closed but not locked (VP said they usually are locked). Playset on S side has Port Alberni, BC , V9Y2K5 season good visibility around it, but not from school windows (see photo). High chain link fence around most of school, few openings (one near playset), and no fencing at 8th Ave entrance area. Hid-a-bag about 40 ft from playset, between playset and school door. Residential area with a few gardens; across the street is Quality Foods, which has a deli and kitchens, as well as other garbage which could attract bears. 8th Ave entrance has wide row of bearberry (see photo) and four cherry trees. Another Hid-a-bag at ball court at NW corner of school, as well as open barrel garbage cans; also 2 small dogwood trees here. School is within a few blocks of the Dry Creek ravine, a known bear travel corridor. Gill Elementary School: K-5 low to moderate VP said no bears on school grounds in 2 years. All play areas visible from school 723-9311 5520 Beaver Crk. hazard in berry windows (see photo). No bear foods noted on school grounds, which were very Rd., season clean. Grounds mostly fenced, but bear foods (blackberries, skunk cabbage) Port Alberni, BC, V9Y 8H9 outside of fence between Mary Street and Josephine St cemetery area. Gaps in fence on this side. Hid-a-bag beside ball court at back of school, close to school door. Dumpster located well away from play area; has plastic lids and is kept locked (see photo). John Howitt Elementary: K-5 low hazard School is close to the northeast edge of town, where bears are normally more 723-7521 3867 Marpole St., prevalent than in other locations; school grounds very clean; mostly fenced, but Port Alberni, BC, V9Y 6Y3 fence is only about 4 ft high chain link; play field at back only partially fenced and there is a densely wooded area on a rise behind school with no fence; did not see any bear foods around school, but there were fruit trees and birdfeeders at a few residences on both sides of school. 1st playset behind school adjacent to parking lot is open, but has good visibility from school windows; 2nd playset at side of school partially fenced and has no visibility from school. Outside are three Hid-a-bag garbage bins well-bolted to concrete pad, but the backs were all unlocked, allowing bears access to garbage bags; dumpster has metal lids and was locked (see photo). Maquinna Elementary, K-5 moderate School is across the street from the “Maquinna Woods” (see photo), which 724-0512 3881 Bruce St., hazard borders on the forest at the southeast edge of town. School is well fenced, but Port Alberni, BC, V9Y 1J6 openings at the front would allow bears access if one was roaming nearby [email protected] streets looking for garbage, and there is an opening on the east side near the dumpster (see photo). No bear foods on school grounds except for cherry tree right in the middle of the playset area (see photo). Play time is supervised. Dumpsters are emptied by the city. A Bear Aware program was delivered last fall (a year ago) by Crystal McMillan, Bear Aware Coordinator for Ucluelet. Wood Elementary School: K-5 low to moderate Dumpster in parking lot has metal lids, locked. Playset on N side of school is in 724-1132 4111 Wood Ave., hazard the open, but there is no visibility from school windows. Children are always Port Alberni, BC, V9Y 5E8 supervised during playtime, plus at least 2 staff rove around the school during lunch and recess. Multi-height chainlink on N side, with openings; no garbage cans near playset. Hid-a-bag at back on ball court, back was open. No bears have been seen on school grounds for at least the past 2 years. Hid-a-bag at front N parking lot. NE side of school at far edge has blackberries; 5-foot fence ends at berries. School is near NIC, which has bears in the bush and trail behind it. This is possibly an extension of the Roger Creek bear corridor. The school is just east of and open to the Echo Park complex. One potentially high source of bear attractants is the Kendall Street townhouse complex that borders on its east side. This complex is very untidy with lots of barbecues and garbage cans in carports, 4 plastic-lidded unlocked dumpsters.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 42 Middle schools EJ Dunn: 6-8 / French moderate to Office staff stated that there are about 6 or more incidents of a bear on the school Immersion; high hazard grounds each year: “It’s pretty common.” There were bear foods on the school 723-7522; 3500 Argyle Street , grounds (blackberries-see photo). Students are supervised on the play areas. Port Alberni, BC, V9Y 3A8 School grounds were clean. High fence around ball court, but it is open at one end close to the school. This school is almost surrounded on one side and at the back by the Maquinna Woods, and residential areas (see photo). There were Hid- a-bag bins, but they were all unlocked at the back; small open bins as well. AW Neill: 6-8; 723-8151; low to Principal said no bear sightings at school in many years. School is across the 5055 Compton Road, moderate street from the Kitsuksis Walkway, where bears are known to occur. Dumpster Port Alberni, BC, V9Y 7B5 hazard immediately behind school has metal lids and was open. It is situated between the school door and the playset. Custodian said she could lock the dumpster if she had a padlock and a key. Playset is somewhat visible from school windows on west side. Play field at far west of school has small creek, forest on other side of chainlink fence (see photo). Track bordered on north and a bit east has dense bush (bear foods here) and trees; lots of berries growing through the high fence behind the playset and track area. Hid-a-bag beside track. Also Hid-a-bag on courts in front of school entrance. There is also an open, unlocked dumpster at the far side of the staff parking lot, bordering on bush and residential area. School grounds were fairly tidy, free of litter. Front of school is busy street and residential area on other side. Secondary schools Alberni District: 9-12 , 723-6251; moderate to Bears come to the cafeteria area at the back of the school. Last June a bear was 4000 Burde Street, high hazard seen jumping on the dumpster. They call the CO fairly regularly. Bear sightings Port Alberni, BC, V9Y 3L6 pretty steady each year. Bears come at night, too, and there is a mess to clean up in the morning. There many were haul-all type bins around the school, but they were all open on top and at the back. There were also the open barrel type garbage cans around the school. The inner courtyard was clean, visibility is good here, and there are no bear foods here. The playfields at the back border onto Dry Creek, which is a bear travel corridor (see photo). While the school is mostly fenced, the adjacent residential area has a lot of gardens, fruit trees, and available garbage cans. There are cherry trees on the school grounds. There was a fair amount of litter around the school. The dumpster at the back was wide open and full (see photo) and not locked. Did 2nd visit and same conditions found.

Photos above: 8th Avenue School: playset not visible from school windows; photo top left next page: bearberry used as landscaping in front of school.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 43 Photos below [l and r]: Gill School: play areas visible from school windows; dumpster well away from play area, kept locked, but has plastic lids.

Photo below: John Howitt: Dumpster has metal lid and is kept locked.

Photos below: Maquinna: Maquinna Woods across the street; cherry tree for shade in middle of playset area, also shows M’akola Housing across street, where there are a lot of reports about bears in garbage; dumpster near opening in fence, lids open, near play area.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 44 Photos below: EJ Dunn: [l] blackberry patch on school grounds; [r] Maquinna Woods and residential area behind school.

Photos below: AW Neill: [l] play field at back near creek; [r] playset visibility good, unlocked dumpster between it and school.

Photos below: ADSS: open dumpster is full and has plastic lids, Hid-a-bag bins open top and back; greenbelt at back.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 45 In addition to conducting assessments, I also provided each school with a copy of the following checklist so they could conduct their own periodic “bear aware” assessments and monitoring activities.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment Checklist for Schools

† Cut back blackberry bushes (and other bear food plants) around school perimeter and near dumpsters and garbage cans. † Consider removing fruit trees from school grounds and replacing them with tree species that do not attract bears (no fruit or nut trees). † Monitor or patch holes in perimeter fences. † Trim back vegetation along and overhanging fences. † Remove bear foods from school or ornamental gardens. † Remove bear foods from understorey on trails near school and from landscaping at front of schools. † Move playsets to open, visible areas, or remove plants that block visibility from school windows. Always make sure play times are supervised. † Don’t locate garbage cans on or next to playset areas. † Keep dumpsters locked & emptied frequently. † Monitor small garbage cans, either take indoors or empty at end of day, especially in warm weather. Preferably, install bear-proof garbage cans on school grounds and keep them locked (except for where garbage goes in to them). † Remove garbage cans from play areas. † Consider getting students to do litter patrols. † Consider more security (fencing and closeable gates) at perimeter. † Consider (for schools with moderate to high hazard ratings) having “bear drills” to familiarise students and staff with wildlife (bears, cougars, etc.) safety procedures. † Invite a Conservation Officer and a Bear Aware speaker to address whole school, preferably at beginning of school year, possibly again in late spring. † Actively encourage neighbours to be more Bear Aware.

For more information, please contact Maggie Paquet, 723-8802, [email protected].

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 46 3.5.3 Select residential, commercial, and industrial locations This section contains two tables. The first is of “other areas,” and includes daycare centres, housing developments with playsets, and “wild” areas and ravines. The second table contains my assessments of selected commercial and industrial areas within the city. Again, pages of select photos follow the tables.

Table 10. Hazard survey of other areas (daycare centres, housing developments, greenbelts, etc.) garbage can or hazard Name/Location Description, potential bear hazards dumpster rating Across the street from 11th Ave park. Completely fenced (4 ft chain Kiwanis Hilton Centre Hid-a-bag at play area low link), small trees, no understorey, visibility good, surrounded by 2500-block 10th Ave residential area (see photo). Densely wooded ravine (see photo) runs from Anderson St down to low to Ship Creek Ravine n/a harbour. Ship Creek has fish; in berry and fish seasons, may be moderate attractive to bears. Nearby resident said rarely sees bears. This is a very messy neighbourhood. Four dumpsters, all plastic lids, none locked, garbage cans in carports. Outdoor barbecues, Townhouses on Kendall furniture, buckets and boxes of “stuff,” all sitting outside doors Street and back of moderate fronting on parking lots. On north side of this, which shares north dumpsters open Wood Street to high border of school, is a footpath from Kendall Street leading west Elementary School beside school and to Echo Park complex, etc. There is dense bush at the Kendall Street end along the north side of this path that has lots of bear foods, including wild rose hips, blackberries. More than a dozen new homes. The back (east) and side (north) New housing being built moderate has dense bush and strip of forest on south side of Roger Creek at top of Roger Street to to high [at and along Powerline Trail behind NIC; a known bear movement didn’t see any south of NIC, McKnight first, corridor, connects to Roger Creek, another bear corridor. Also, the Street especially] “College Heights” townhouse development, on the south edge of this development; same comments (see photos). This non-profit housing society operates three developments in Port Alberni. This location has lodged numerous complaints with the Conservation Officer Service. It is surrounded on two sides by the Dry Creek ravine (see photo), a well-used bear travel corridor that runs from the Harbour near the paper mill right up to the eastern edge of town and into the forests (mostly recently logged) beyond. The two dumpsters have metal lids and are not kept locked, in spite of notices to residents to latch them closed after depositing garbage. A bear had been into the garbage that morning and the caretaker had to clean up a big mess. The dumpsters are enclosed in a 6-foot high concrete block enclosure 2 dumpsters partially on two and a half sides, but there is no gate or full enclosure M’akola Housing moderate enclosed; fitted with a around them so the city works crew can slide them out to empty. At 3777 Argyle Way to high latching ring by the city the request of the caretaker, the city fitted two dumpsters with metal rings to make it easier for residents to latch the lids closed (see photos). Some residents don’t bother doing this, making it easier for bears to access the garbage. Currently, one of the dumpsters has been replaced by the city and it does not have one of these special latches. The company representative on site said that the city only empties these once a week on Fridays (my visit was on a Thursday and both dumpsters were overfull with lids propped open by garbage, although the caretaker said they are usually closed—see pics). They can phone for an extra pickup, which costs $36 each time ($18/dumpster). She said the other two developments have twice-weekly pickup, but only one dumpster each. She also said they report each bear sighting to the CO

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 47 Service, but no one ever attends or responds. A log is kept on complaints reported. The playset area is immediately behind the dumpster enclosure. This development has a low wood fence between it and the ravine, but there are openings in it. School kids go through the woods here (which has salal, Oregon grape, fungi, and other bear foods—see pics)) on their way to ADSS and into town. “Transients” also use the area and there is some degree of litter and garbage strewn around on the footpaths. Residents are advised to keep their barbecues clean and stored away; I didn’t see any around the units. There is a picnic table slightly off to one side closer to the ravine and about 100 feet away from the playset area. I saw no other garbage receptacles outdoors. This development seems to be continuously dealing with bears and are frustrated trying to get effective garbage pickup and compliance by residents. They already removed at least five ornamental fruit trees and keep the grounds very clean and devoid of landscaping plants that attract bears. The tenant relations staff indicated they would like to work with authorities in the COS and in the city to solve their problems and increase safety for residents. M’akola Housing City empties dumpster here twice weekly (Tuesday and Friday); 3737 Bruce Street dumpster was open (metal lids); barbecues seen in front and behind some units; directly across the street from Maquinna across from Maquinna 1 dumpster moderate Elementary School Elementary School, backed by Maquinna Woods; across Bruce Street in residential area was a low fence completely overgrown with grape vines. M’akola Housing Playset in area fenced on two sides, open at 3rd and where Neill Street building is. Chain link fence along Ship Creek Rd is mostly overgrown with blackberries. Visibility to upper play area is good (near Ship Creek and dumpster at back and moderate from building; visibility to lower play area near 3rd is not so good, 3rd Ave) side but there is no understorey anywhere in play area; all structures in the open (see photo). Right across the street from the Ship Creek ravine, which is a bear travel corridor. This residential street ends at the Dry Creek ravine. A mowed strip between residences and ravine is much-used by local children for play. One resident living at the end of the street says he has seen bears walk right by children and that the children ignore the bears and the bears seem to ignore the kids. He also said bears are seen frequently in the area; a long-standing problem. Residents here 3100-blk McNaughton have many fruit trees, gardens, grape arbours. Most seem to have garbage cans along moderate near top of Argyle fences around these, but one resident said bears break through street to high these all the time, regardless of barbed wire and other obstacles. There is a new residential development immediately to the east (further up Argyle, see photo) of this older neighbourhood that is adjacent to the forest and ravine. There were numerous bear foods on city property, including blackberries. Garbage pickup had occurred earlier on the day of my visit and the street was lined with empty garbage cans late in the day (see photo). This is another edge of town where there are many new residential Top of Argyle Street areas being developed (see photo). All of these are immediately across from and east of didn’t see any moderate adjacent to forested areas that have considerable understorey, Rugby Field particularly at the outer edges, that have blackberries, salal, Oregon grape, and other bear foods present. Dry Creek corridor and This section of 10th Ave has numerous reports about bears in all “10th Avenue Dip” Hid-a-bag bins at both moderate seasons and in every year of this study. It spans Dry Creek, a ends of “Dip” to high known and well-used bear travel corridor.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 48 Roger Creek and Primary sources of The malls at the top of Johnston Rd at the entrance to town both corridor tributaries garbage are dumpsters report problems with bears; residents down the corridor and past at mall at top of city, Roger Creek Park and Southgate St also report problems with residential garbage bears. At the bottom, where Roger Creek empties into the Somass through town, estuary Estuary and Alberni Inlet, is Victoria Quay, a linear park that has a at Victoria Quay number of garbage bins. Kitsuksis Creek and tributaries flow year-round throughout this entire area. The creek has chinook and coho in it and is lined pretty much the whole way (3+ km round-trip footpath) with blackberries Residential area on both and other bear foods (see photos in Parks section p. 36). Many residences have gardens and fruit trees, mostly not fenced. There sides of the Kitsuksis dumpsters at condo are also some “wild” areas on the west side, and the north end is Walkway (see write-up and apt complexes, mostly “wild.” School kids from AW Neill Middle school regularly on city parks), from single cans and bags moderate use the area for running and other physical activities, always Spencer Street, across at houses; only 1 supervised by at least two teachers, and the footpath is in Gertrude and west to duplex shows use of continual, year-round use by the public (on foot, skateboards, roller Indian Ave bear-proof cans skates, bicycles, and in wheelchairs and adult and baby strollers), many of whom pick blackberries in season and many of whom bring their dogs for exercise (most are on-leash). There is frequent evidence (scat) of bear use throughout the area, and raccoons are also present.

Photo right: Kiwanis Hilton Daycare Centre: well fenced, good visibility around play areas; children supervised.

Photo below: Dense riparian vegetation along Ship Creek.

Photos below: M’akola Housing, Neill St at 3rd Ave, adjacent to Ship Creek, upper and lower play areas have good visibility, but fence area should be cleared of bear foods.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 49 Photo below: New residential development near McKnight St Photo below: Top of Argyle St, east of rugby field

Photos below: M’akola Housing 3737 Argyle Way, show Dry Creek ravine behind residences, concrete enclosure around dumpsters, and latching ring fitted to dumpster by City Works crew.

Photos below: 3100 block McNaughton, shows back of new residential development at top of Argyle, garbage cans on street.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 50 Table 11. Hazard survey of select industrial and commercial areas garbage can or hazard Name/Location Description, potential bear hazards dumpster rating 1 grease bin, 1 The hazard rating for this location is high in large part because of dumpster for card- the location adjacent to Dry Creek corridor and because there are Behind Dairy Queen on board, 1 dumpster for moderate other restaurants nearby. Bears are frequently sighted in the E side of 3rd Ave other garbage, all to high general area. Smells from this restaurant are very strong and Burde to Dunbar Sts plastic lids, none would attract bears throughout the area. There are neighbourhood locked; no enclosures fruit trees along the alley behind these dumpsters (see photo). The depot is directly across the street (E side) from Dry Creek rows of dumpsters for Park, an area known to be used by bears (see photos), and from paper, tins, glass, the “Bottle” recycling depot, which stores large amounts of pop and cardboard, some open, beer cans and bottles. While most of these will have been rinsed City Recycling Depot on some locked, some moderate out, not all will be and the smells from those will attract bears. In 4th at Napier with plastic lids; whole to high theory, there are no food attractants at this site, but there are very depot open access (not likely food smells that bears could detect; especially true if people enclosed); no don’t rinse out all the glass and tins put into the bins. Site is across compactors. the street (N side) from alleyway behind Dairy Queen. Smitty’s is adjacent to the greenbelt between the harbour and 3rd dumpster, grease bin, Behind Smitty’s on W moderate Ave, and across the street from the Huu-ay-aht Treaty Office, cardboard recycling side of 3rd Ave to high where fish containers are sometimes stored. A block away is the bin Dairy Queen. All the containers here have plastic lids, unlocked. There are a number of different kinds of commercial businesses, mixed in with a few residences. Behind Sears were 2 dumpsters, lids open; behind Zellers was a large closed compactor; both areas were very neat around the dumpsters. In the alley behind Ralph’s Men’s Wear, the music and tobacco shops, were open dumpsters a variety of dumpsters, and the ground beneath them was very messy. Behind Alberni TV “South Port” Downtown compactors, cardboard were 2 locked metal bins and area was very neat. Behind the Ink area, Dunbar to Mar and recycling bins, moderate Spot/real estate company were two dumpsters with metal lids, but between 5th and 2nd residential garbage they were open; area was kept neat. Behind the complex with streets cans, none were bear- Gramma’s Antiques, on both sides of the alley, were dumpsters proof. with plastic and metal lids, all locked; area neat. On the other side of 3rd Ave, behind the pizza factory were 2 dumpsters, one with plastic lid, one with metal lid, both locked. Further south along the alley were 3 plastic lidded bins, not locked. On the NW corner of Mar and Angus was a dumpster with a plastic lid, locked. There are a number of different types of businesses along this variety of garbage portion of 3rd Ave, including 3 restaurants, auto sales and repair, 3rd Ave between cans, dumpsters, and low to electronics, florist, all of which have dumpsters and cardboard Redford & Burde cardboard recycling moderate recycling bins. A drive through the alley behind these showed that bins most had plastic lids and most were unlocked. This is also a commercial corridor, about half of which fronts the Catalyst paper mill to the west side. The east side is backed by the railroad tracks, which are lined with wild blackberries and good cover for bears. Above the railroad tracks, at the south end of this variety of garbage Stamp/Gertrude/3rd Ave strip, are residences that report problems with bears. The north cans, dumpsters, and moderate area from Johnston to end of this corridor has restaurants, a service station, medical cardboard recycling to high Redford streets offices, and other businesses. The Roger Creek riparian corridor bins dissects it about halfway along, and Roger Street, also in about the middle, ends at Victoria Quay. There are a high number of bear conflict reports from this area. Waste management practices through here are inconsistent, plus there are some bear foods

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 51 There are restaurants on both sides of the street (Swale Rock Café, hotels with both beer parlours and restaurants, etc.). Also the Bottom of Argyle Street low to Alberni historic train station. The dumpsters behind the station before entrance to Behind the south moderate were open, but not full. There were 2 dumpsters with metal lids, Harbour Quay locked, behind the Swale Rock Café complex, and there was one grease bin with a plastic lid. This is an industrial area that has boat-building companies, Alberni Engineering, Port Fish, and other companies. Alberni Engineering has overfull dumpsters on both sides of building; staff there said mostly large N end of Bird Street on they don’t see any bears around; Port Fish area is very stinky area, dumpsters, some N. side of Argyle St at moderate with dumpsters for general garbage and cardboard, but factory metal, some plastic, bottom garbage looks like it comes out of a high chute into a large semi- none bear-proof trailer. Did not talk to anyone there to see if they’ve ever had problems with bears climbing the high fences to get inside the enclosure. (See photos) The whole area behind the store was very clean. The compactor Quality Foods, 10th Ave 2 grease bins, door was open, but manager said it is usually closed. The low at China Creek Rd. compactor cardboard recycling baler is indoors. The two grease bins have metal lids. 8th Ave Elementary school is across the street. variety of dumpsters, This is a “mini-mall” area, also has three gas stations that sell food, Redford St at 10th Ave, grease bins, etc., two large grocery stores, and a variety of other businesses. both sides of both street compactors, metal and There were a mix of metal and plastic-lidded containers, some plastic lids locked, some not. The south side of this commercial corridor is close to the Roger Johnston St between Creek riparian area, a known bear travel corridor. There are a variety of dumpsters, Adelaide St. and River low to variety of businesses, including a restaurant, gas station, grocery compactors, metal and Road, both sides of moderate store, hair salon, health food store, and others. Again, there was a plastic lids street variety of dumpsters, some with metal, some with plastic lids, most were not locked, but most areas were very tidy. Johnston St at top end dumpsters, some This area is mostly commercial, but some residential, also. between Tebo and residential garbage moderate McDonalds is here, and had numerous problems with bears getting Broughton streets cans into their dumpster. Not aware if the problem has been fixed.

Photos below: grease pit and dumpsters behind Dairy Queen. Notice cherry trees behind dumpsters.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 52 Photo right: Recycling Depot, looking across 4th Ave to Dry Creek Park, beside Bottle Depot

Photos below: l and r: Open, full, plastic-lidded dumpsters on both sides of Alberni Engineering. While these may not contain materials bears would want to eat, the visual cue of the plastic bags will still attract bears to the dumpsters.

Photos below, l and r: row of dumpsters beside Port Fish; these have metal lids and don’t look like they hold any garbage bears would be attracted to. High fence enclosure around plant. While area was smelly, I couldn’t see where a bear would be able to get in to the plant area.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 53 3.5.4 Ahahswinis, a reserve of the Hupacasath First Nation in Port Alberni The Hupacasath First Nation’s Ahahswinis Reserve occupies 37 hectares along the east side of the Somass River, roughly between River Road and Compton Road (east-west), and Indian Ave and Josephine St (north-south). Beaver Creek Road bisects it in the north, and Lugrin Creek (and an associated wetland) bisects it in the south. Much of the area is good bear habitat. In addition to the main office and cultural centre, there are roughly 60 dwellings housing approximately 100 residents. The reserve is currently expanding the number of residential units. The reserve has two dumpsters on site that are emptied once a week on Fridays. Collection is contracted to a private operator. One dumpster, which has a plastic lid but is kept locked, is located near a children’s play area, although visibility is good. The inset picture shows bear pawprints on the side of this dumpster. Al Ross, Hupacasath Fisheries and Wildlife Steward, informed me that there is a plan to build an enclosure around this dumpster. He submits bear education information for publication in the monthly Bulletin (see example below) to remind community members to be bear aware. When bears are sighted on the reserve, residents either chase them away with noise-making, or they call the Conservation Officer. Fish, fish smokers, and fish nets are also attractants found at Ahahswinis, as are outdoor freezers and barbecues. The community bulletin also contains information on these attractants and how to prevent conflicts.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 54 3.6 Discussion of Public Information and Education Activities One of the requirements of the Bear Smart Community Program is that there be either a well-organised community-based group working with the Conservation Officer Service and doing public education and monitoring of bear sightings, or a dedicated, paid-for Bear Aware Coordinator active in the community. Currently, there is no volunteer group engaged in public education or bear monitoring activities in Port Alberni, as there are in a number of other communities in the province. Nor does Port Alberni have a full-time Bear Aware Coordinator under the co-sponsorship of the BC Conservation Corps and the local government. Over the past number of years, however, there has been considerable coverage in local media about the exploits of bears in the city. Some of these articles are included in Appendix 8. Local governments, such as Gibsons, Coquitlam, the district municipalities of North and West Vancouver, and others throughout the province, have developed excellent bear-people conflict prevention information on their websites. Examples of some of these are in Appendix 8. The regional district set aside funding in 2007 to enable Crystal McMillan, Bear Aware Program Supervisor for Vancouver Island & Lower Mainland, to extend limited delivery of the Bear Aware Program to Port Alberni. Crystal’s activities include a signage project for Victoria Quay and Harbor Quay, volunteer outreach, developing educational material for Hwy 4, for inserts into city mailings, writing media articles, and carrying out targeted neighbourhood door-to-door information campaigns (see Appendix 8 for samples). A good start to public education here would be for the city to publish and mail out a checklist for residents, schools, restaurants and food outlets, realtors, and others to enable them to do their own bear hazard assessments (see Appendix 9). This past year, the Alberni Valley Tourism Association adopted a motto to help “brand” the city as a tourism destination. The motto: “Bear Tracks and Lumberjacks,” focuses on viewing bears along the west bank of the Somass River, opposite Victoria Quay, where these two photos were taken. The bear in the bottom photo has just caught a spawning salmon and is dragging it off to eat it.

While not within the city limits, a number of marinas, campgrounds, and resorts in the Alberni area have lodged numerous complaints with the CO Service. Many of these ultimately resulted in the destruction of habituated bears; in some, more than one bear had to be destroyed in each season. The attractants at these were primarily garbage, fish (and fish entrails), and unsecured campers’ food and coolers. Because of the bears and tourism focus, it would be useful for the city to include these visitor facilities in any future public education or Bear Aware programs.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 55 3.7 Discussion of Waste Management Practices There is no doubt that garbage is the single most important factor that brings bears into conflict with people in urban areas. In recognition of this, the Bear Smart Community Program requires waste management, including garbage collection, recycling, and landfill operations, to be as bear-proof as possible. For many communities, and Port Alberni is no exception, this means amending garbage collection bylaws. These may require the use of bear-proof residential receptacles, neighbourhood drop- off points to be fully fenced, and the timing of when garbage can be put out to the curb for collection. Port Alberni provides weekly garbage collection for city residents. Commercial, multi-family housing complexes, and institutional garbage pickup is arranged through contracts, either with the city or with private companies. The city’s website states: The City operates a commercial dumpster type collection service as well as residential collection. Solid waste is taken to the Alberni Valley Landfill operated by the Regional District of Alberni Clayoquot. City crews collect about 6600 tonnes per year of solid waste from both residential and commercial customers. Residential Service Residential service is provided weekly to all single family residences in the City at an annual cost of $95 or $1.83 per weekly pickup. Up to 2 bags or cans may be placed out for collection each week. Additional bags or cans may be set out if extra collection stickers are purchased and affixed. These may be purchased at City Hall at a cost of $2.00 each. Crews begin collection at 7:00 a.m. so cans should be placed out before this time to ensure collection. Please do not place hazardous materials such as hypodermic needles, broken glass, etc. loose in the cans which may injure our collection staff. Commercial Collection The City offers solid waste collection service to commercial customers in two formats: commercial loose and dumpster service. Commercial "Loose" Service is provided on the same basis as residential service (2 cans/week for $95/year). Commercial "Dumpster" Service is available with pickups on a scheduled basis…* Extra service pickups may be requested…** *Minimum scheduled service of one pickup per month. ** Bins with loads in excess of 1000kg will be charged at double these pickup rates. The city also provides a recycling drop-off location on 4th Avenue at Napier Street. The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District provides a regional landfill that is enclosed in an electrified fence all around its perimeter. According to the contractor/operator, no bears have breached the fence for the past two years and the location where they had been getting in has been repaired. It is clear that designing a bear-proof waste management system will be a challenge for the City of Port Alberni. Deciding on one that will work—and be accepted by residents and be enforceable—in the mix of urban, commercial, industrial, institutional, and agricultural settings, will likely require some kind of public consultation and possibly one or more pilot projects based on the neighbourhood hotspots. The results of any pilot projects will be very important in helping the city decide on the best ways to significantly reduce bear-people conflicts. Whatever system is developed, while it may be considered expensive to initiate, it must prove to be affordable over time. Certainly a key factor in the success of any bear-proof system will be consistent enforcement.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 56 Survey of waste management companies, equipment and systems Getting reliable information on bear-proof systems and designs (what works, what doesn’t work, or what only partially works) has only yielded partial confidence in the results. Among the research, I have looked at the varieties and types of bear-proof equipment available, information on testing equipment, the track record of equipment and companies, the practicality of use in a given setting, and, where possible, costs. Table 8 summarises this research. (For more detailed explanations, refer to Section 6.2. See also Appendix 10.) I contacted as many companies as I could find on the internet, and sent the following query by email: 1. Can you please tell me the range of products your company offers, including: a) their basic specifications (size/capacity for each) b) the initial cost, including costs for large orders (and your capacity to fill large orders) 2. What infrastructure (including trucks that empty dumpsters and residential garbage cans) would a community need to purchase in order to use your equipment? What is the unit cost? 3. What is an estimate of long-term maintenance (or replacement) costs? 4. Can you please tell me about a couple of locations where your system/equipment is currently in use so I can compare with information on the size of community served? I have listed Canadian companies, plus a few US companies that deal extensively in Canada and whose products are known to be effective in reducing bear-people conflicts. The review was somewhat confounded because some companies contacted were reluctant to provide information (particularly on costs and design specifications) for fear of their information falling into competitors’ hands. Claims of bear-proof capabilities by some companies were felt to be over-stated and therefore suspect. In the case of one, what they told me contradicted information I obtained from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee’s testing program at the Living With Wildlife Foundation’s testing facility in Montana. Another source of information is to look at what other communities are doing and whether or not they are successful in increasing safety and reducing bear-people conflicts. Notable successes include Canmore, Alberta and Vail, Colorado (see Appendix 12); most of the provincial and national parks in the Rocky Mountains; Furry Creek (south of Squamish); and, to a limited extent, in Whistler (see section 6.2).30

30 Also described fully in bear hazard assessment reports (for RMOW, Squamish, Lions Bay, etc.) listed in Section 8.0.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 57 The following is from interviews, emails, and internet research. [n/av = not available]. Important: prices change and may not be as set out below. Table 12. Review of companies that manufacture or sell bear-proof garbage receptacles of various sizes, or infrastructure/equipment requirements.

Name, location of company item type (s) initial cost long term infrastructure where used # people Recommendations/ comments (community company provides costs required served acceptance rate, etc.) Rollins Machinery Ltd., 21869 56th Ave, provides Haul-All high initial costs, 64- very semi-automated many locations unknown Brochure says reinforced polybins are certified by the Langley, BC V2Y 2M9; 604-533-0048; equipment, incl gal IPL bins $169; 95- durable and automated throughout BC Living with Wildlife Fdn; drawback is that the locking Fax: 604-533-3820; cell: 604-833-3428; automated trucks, gal bins $185; equipment trucks (LaBrie) and elsewhere, clasps must be undone by residents at time of being set toll-free: 1-800-665-9060; residential and discounts for bulk & infra- notably national out for collection in order to enable emptying by email: [email protected]; commercial orders; trucks: structure; and provincial automated or manual means. Locking clasps may be website: www.rollinsmachinery.ca dumpsters, single dumpsters: cost- parks, in difficult for some people to use; risk of not being kept residential polycarts. effective Whistler, other latched shut, rendering them not bear-proof. However, a See section 6.2 and over time. south coast new larger clasp has recently been used, but I have not printouts in Appendix communities, had any test results. Other equipment and infrastructure 10. Canmore, etc. this company supplies is highly effective and durable. BearSaver Canisters, 1390 S Milliken Ave, provides Haul-All Hid- US$ prices for black depends on depends on In many parks, n/av 32-gal residential bin meets most local government limits Ontario, CA 91761; 909-605-1697; A-Bag type single and bear model 32 gal: # of items system in place; rural areas, and for household pickup. Larger bins useful in public settings www.bearsaver.com; Steve Thompson double trash cans and $121.44 for 1-300; purchased, can be used for communities in (parks, arenas, housing complexes). Website says email: [email protected] enclosures; also $115.21 for 301- how used manual pickup both the US and residential polycarts employ “one-finger unlatching,” with provides 32-, 68-, and 1000: $110.54 for and where or semi- Canada; specific snap-shut lid; designed for manual and semi-automated 95 gallon residential 1001-5000; $105.87 located; automated locations collection systems. Smaller bins (32-gal) have not yet poly carts of the “Otto” for 5000+ will tailor equipment available on been submitted to LWWF testing program, but most of variety of manufac- payment plan for local is very request to BearSaver’s equipment usually passes the tests with ture; product seems governments and/or sturdy company. grizzlies. See printouts in Appendix 10. Finger-latch bin quite durable. See individual residents if tested in pilots in Coquitlam and Port Alberni show very section 6.2 and they buy in bulk; favourable results. New, improved design on 32-gal bin Appendix 10. company agree-able ensures latching when lid is simply dropped. This to bulk pricing. equipment is recommended. Haul-All Equipment Systems, 4115 18th supplies residential 6 cu yd self-dumping n/av automated Canmore, n/av Quote dated 13 Jul 2005 based on bulk purchase of 100 Ave North, Lethbridge AB T1H 5G1; toll- and commercial with concrete platform trucks; Whistler, other dumpsters and 50 hid-a-bag cans: total estimate for 100 free: 1-800-661-1162; 403-328-7788; Fx: equipment, including & spacer pads costs single/double communities dumpsters/platforms is $617,500; 100 Hid-A-Can 403-328-9956; email: automated trucks, $6,175; Hid-A-Bag cans need fixing throughout containers/platforms is $93,000; and 50 Hid-A-Bag [email protected]; website: commercial/ residen- trash can + concrete into a concrete Canada and the cans/platforms is $47,250, for total quote of $757,750 + www.haulall.com/english/ tial dumpsters, and pad costs $945 base US, some Nat’l & taxes. This equipment is recommended. High initial single & double trash Prov parks costs, lower maintenance costs; equipment durable. See cans and enclosures section 6.2 and printouts in Appendix 10. Wasteline Containers Ltd., 2141 Queen St, provides dumpsters & n/av n/av n/av n/av This BC company appears to have a well-designed bear- Abbotsford, BC, V2T 6J3, 604-852-5614, compactors of various proof dumpster design; drawback is they seem to only be or 1-800-663-1772; Attn Don Howes, types, including one available on a “made-to-order” basis. There were none www.wastelinecontainers.com; called “Bear Proof Lid” available for me to view. See Section 6.2 and product [email protected] printouts in Appendix 10.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 58 Name, location of company item type (s) initial cost long term infrastructure where used # people Recommendations/ comments (community company provides costs required served acceptance rate, etc.) Bear Necessities, BN Waste (Bearbins) provides bins from 40 n/av n/av n/av Fernie, n/av This company is actively engaged in designing a bin and Lori Hogarth, 210 Lady Macdonald Dr., gal to 8 cu yd; website Canmore, Prince is in the process of getting prototypes tested at Canmore AB T1W 1H3; P: 403-678-6304; shows metal bins, George, USFS, LWWF/IGBC testing station in Montana. So far, has not F: 403-609-3508 or 403-451-1465 large and small, simi- Parks Canada, passed. A new lid design involves hardware that may be email: [email protected]; lar to Haul-All, but with others. difficult to use in cold weather. Sample currently being website: www.bearbins.com different opening tested in Coquitlam pilot project. Not currently design. See sec 6.2. recommended by this researcher. UnBearAble Bins, Jay Honeyman, PO Box Company provides 64-gal $219 CDN n/av n/av Montana, unknown 95-gal poly bin passed LWWF grizzly bear test; 64 gal 1313, Bragg Creek AB T0L 0K0 residential carts. My 95-gal $249 CDN + elsewhere in US may be okay for black bears. These bins have clasps 403-609-2242; Fx: 403-609-2280 inquiries were not well shipping & taxes west; Winnipeg, that, like the Rollins bins, are difficult for some people to email: [email protected] responded to; was told West Van, Trail use, are not favoured by garbage collection personnel, website: www.unbearablebins.com they deal with US BC and when left unlatched at time of being set out, are no no toll-free number customers; Sec 6.2. longer bear-proof. Universal Equipment Handling Ltd., 4024 loaders, waste bulk quoted me bulk n/av requires many locations unknown bulk prices could include freight; dumpsters have heavy 39139 Hwy 2A; Red Deer, AB , T4S 2A8; containers, roll off prices: 100 x 3 cu yd automated in BC: Sea-to- metal lids, but those used by Carney’s in Squamish have P: 403-346-1233; F: 403-340-8720 containers, self @ $1,306.80; 20 x 4 trucks; model Sky, south coast, problems breaking down; info I have indicates the gauge email: [email protected]. in BC: Ed dumping hoppers, cu yd @ $1,611 LM2000 costs Vanc. Island, etc. of steel used for these products is not heavy enough to Schmidt, Sorrento; toll free: 1-877-843- stationary compactors, $250,000 withstand use over time. See section 6.2. 4105; email: [email protected] products bearproof and non-bearproof Waste Control Services, 604-935-9777 dumpsters with locking would not tell me n/av n/av Squamish, unknown Owner refused to give me much information; would not (North Van), makes and provides bar prevents lid being anything about costs various locations give any $$ info at all. I spoke also with one of their truck residential and commercial dumpsters with raised by bears; in Sea-to-Sky drivers, who thought this product was superior for front locking bar; website: people need to keep area keeping bears out of garbage, and it certainly would be if www.wastecontrolsystems.com locked with bar down users kept it locked at all times when not being used. to render bearproof. AtSource Recycling Systems compactors, balers, n/a n/a n/a supply to Jimmy across Does design work with customers to tailor equipment to 1318 Ketch Court and recycling Pattison Group western need. WasTech is one of their companies, through it, Coquitlam, BC V3K 6W1 equipment; also public of companies; Canada operates GVRD transfer stations and Cache Creek Toll Free: 1-877-927-8324 use indoor compactors various agencies landfill. “AtSource looks after equipment requirements.” P: 604-523-2926, F: 604-523-2920 for restaurants, etc. and Representative said all their equipment is bearproof Email: [email protected] See Appendix 10 municipalities when the units are closed. www.atsource.ca CritterCan; aka AnimalResistantCan yellow heavy cans 95-gal $149 US; 20- may be effective with black bears; major drawbacks: 1-800-914-4771, email: with deep screw-on gal $45 US labour-intensive to unscrew lids, unless firmly attached to [email protected]; lids; this company is in unmoveable object, bears will carry away. website: www.crittercan.com New Jersey.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 59 3.8 Discussion of Bylaws Currently, there are no specific bylaws or policies in place in the City of Port Alberni that mention prevention of conflicts with bears in relation to garbage or waste management, or in relation to new commercial, residential, or industrial developments. While the city has a permanent, year-round bylaw enforcement officer, he does not deal specifically with bears getting at residential garbage cans. City Bylaw #4392, “A Bylaw to Provide for the Establishment, Maintenance, and Operation of a System for Collection and Disposal of Waste Products and for Establishing a Scale of Charges,” was enacted in 1998. It stipulates the city’s right to collect and dispose of waste, including via contractors; the types of containers to be used at single dwelling, multiple dwelling, and commercial locations; the volume and weight restrictions of containers; and the duties of owners to provide containers in which to place their own garbage for collection. Section 11.5 states, Every owner shall set out standard containers for collection and ensure that they are readily accessible for emptying by collectors between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on the specified day of collection. Section 11.8 stipulates that containers must be removed from the curbside pickup location within 24 hours of being emptied. These and other relevant sections in this bylaw would better-serve to bear-proof Port Alberni’s garbage collection system if they were amended to prohibit putting containers out to the curb BEFORE 7:00 a.m., if the type of container were required to be bear-proof, and if there was some consistent enforcement mechanism in place. There also needs to be a way to maintain secure closure of containers on the day of collection. Leaving them unlocked and/or open on collection day makes them accessible to bears. The Bear Aware Coordinator in Coquitlam told me that bears learn which areas have collection on which days and move through the city according to the garbage collection schedule.31 Residential and commercial areas in and near green spaces, such as parks and riparian areas, as well as new developments in previously wild lands have a higher percentage of generating bear-people conflicts than other locality types. Bylaws that deal with garbage, recycling, and unsightly premises can help prevent these areas from becoming a “population sink” for black bears. Of course, there should be a phase-in period to enable acceptance of new bylaws, and there should be consistent enforcement for compliance. 32 In his bear hazard assessment for the North Shore, McCrory describes a population sink as: a biological black hole where bears are constantly drawn into areas of high artificial food sources, become problematic, and are removed from the area or the population in an endless cycle. Management costs addressing these types of situations are high, not to mention property damage, attendant stress on residents as well as the bears and the increased risk of human injury from such close proximity between people and bears. He further says: This does not have to be the case if the attractant problems are cleared up once and for all and a greater proportion of the bear population remains in the more wild areas. It is very encouraging that a 1991–1993 BC Wildlife Branch population study of black bears in the Seymour Watershed clearly demonstrated the viability of adjacent wild bear populations on the North Shore that generally avoid the urban areas. The study captured and marked 16 different bears with coloured neck collars and numbered ear tags. Over a two-year period, none of these bears showed up in urban areas and none were reported as “problem” bears. Mean life span of the captured bears was 9 years with the oldest being 14, indicating a healthy lifestyle; likely a much longer life span than bears that enter North Shore urban areas and become habituated and food-conditioned.

31 Drake Stephens, personal communication, April 2007. 32 W. McCrory, 2006. North Shore Bear Hazard Assessment; pp. 7-8.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 60 Bylaws, if coupled with OCP and development plans that recognise the need to keep bears and people separated, will result in fewer bears being destroyed, less property damage, and an increased safety margin for residents of the city.

3.9 Discussion of Official Community Plan and Development Policies In addition to the easy accessibility of garbage and non-natural food attractants, how we use and develop land, including how we manage our green spaces, has a major influence on whether or not bears come into conflicts with people. Developments that do not take into consideration the prior use of habitat by bears is a major cause of the steep rise in bear-people conflicts over the past number of years. In recognition of this, the Bear Smart Community Program requires that planning and decision-making documents be consistent with a bear-people conflict management plan. In other words, planning documents need to show how bear use areas are kept separate from areas that people use, as much as possible. And where it isn’t possible, they need to describe mitigation efforts to help keep conflicts to a minimum, such as a targeted public education program and prescriptive waste management guidelines. Neither the city’s Strategic Plan nor its Official Community Plan (OCP) make mention of policies or practices in relation to keeping bears and people separate, or to deterring bears from getting access to non-natural attractants, including garbage or landscaping plantings. While the OCP and related development plans are currently undergoing a variety of public amending processes, I can see in none of the currently available materials (online, mostly) that this subject matter has been addressed for future modifications of city planning documents. One of this report’s primary recommendations will be to incorporate Bear Smart Community practices into the planning language. Appendix 14 contains excerpts from Port Alberni’s Official Community Plan. The yellow-highlighted sections and phrases are places in the OCP where Bear Smart language could be included, or where the topic has relevance for applying Bear Smart principles (environmental and economic sustainability, waste management considerations, parks and recreation considerations, green space management, riparian protection, gardening and agricultural activities, future residential development, etc.). The maps excerpted from the OCP show the different areas within the city, their position in regard to bear movement corridors (including roads, railroad tracks, hydro lines, ravines, and creeks). They also can be compared with the bear sightings maps (after p. 29) to see how these movement corridors and city “edge” developments dovetail with the “hotspot” neighbourhoods that have the highest number of conflicts with bears. For example, Map 4: Community and School Facilities, shows that the locations of at least three schools (Maquinna Elementary, EJ Dunn Middle, and ADSS) coincide with high bear- people conflict areas in the city. Map 5: Future Residential, shows that development is planned at the current edge of the city in areas that already experience high bear-people conflicts (top of Burde Street, Maquinna Woods area, Cameron Heights-Ship Creek area). Map 6: Commercial Areas, in addition to highlighting where the business areas are in the city, also highlight three coinciding areas of high bear- people conflicts (Johnston Rd-Cherry Creek Rd malls, lower Johnston Rd-Victoria Quay, and 3rd Ave between Redford and Mar streets, down Argyle to and including Harbour Quay). Also included in Appendix 14 is a printout from the Globe & Mail newspaper of an article published on 2 Nov 2007 about “bear-friendly” residential development in Squamish. Since Squamish, which bills itself as the “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada” is in competition with Port Alberni in the tourism market, it strengthens the notion that city planning policies need to recognise the importance of the bear habitat protection and waste management possibilities described in the article when issuing development permits. Recommendations to amend the OCP and planning documents recognise the need for a public consultation process to achieve the necessary changes, as well as the need for sufficient information to help people understand the reasons for the changes and to increase compliance with permit requirements and bylaw changes.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 61 4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations are listed by topic (public education, parks & trails, schools, waste management, bylaws, OCP, etc.) They are, essentially, a summary of the hazard assessment. Some of them are not within the jurisdiction of the City of Port Alberni; for instance, those that deal with schools and regional waste management issues. Some may require varying amounts of public consultation, such as for amending certain bylaws. This is recognised by the BC Environment ministry, which administers the Bear Smart Community Program. However, these recommendations identify the factors that need to be addressed, some possibly in consultation with the ministry, in order to be in accord with the principles of the Bear Smart Community Program. Finally, these recommendations can be used to form the basis of a Bear-People Conflict Prevention Plan, should Port Alberni decide to progress to Phase 2 of the Bear Smart Community Program.

For Public Education/Information Activities 1. Engage the public in adopting bear-proof waste management throughout Port Alberni, including for commercial, institutional, and industrial sites. This includes holding community consultations and, using information presented in this report, propose methods/systems that will work best in specific neighbourhoods. 2. Sponsor a dedicated public education program, such as Bear Aware. Support the development of a volunteer community-based “bear watch” group. Carrying out continuous communication to the public during “bear season” is important, particularly about what constitutes attractants and about safety issues when near a bear. Public education needs to emphasise the fact that while Vancouver Island black bears have rarely exhibited aggressive behaviour towards people, any bear has the potential to become dangerous. 3. Encourage any “bear watch” group that forms in the area to maintain a liaison with the BC Conservation Corps’ Bear Aware Program (if not already a part of that program), and with any regional Bear Aware groups, such as the ones in Tofino and Ucluelet, and those on the lower mainland (e.g., the North Shore Black Bear Network). 4. Work with District Conservation Officers, a Bear Aware Coordinator if one is hired for Port Alberni, and any community-based “bear watch” group to develop a systematic monitoring program that includes recording all complaints and conducting a periodic analysis in order to respond to local situations. 5. Encourage local businesses and community organisations to embrace Bear Smart principles. Where funding is a consideration, encourage an “Adopt-a-Can” program for sponsoring purchase of bear-proof garbage containers. 6. Develop targeted public information programs for new residential, commercial, and industrial developments, including information for realtors and new residents so newcomers can be informed about being in “bear country” and the need to prevent bears getting access to garbage and other non-natural attractants (e.g., gardens, landscaping plantings). An educational message should also be developed specifically for people living adjacent to greenbelt areas and known bear travel corridors. These messages need to include a reminder that a bear can be encountered at any time in these areas, including in parks, city streets, and along area trails and walkways. 7. Support the development of a community-based program to reduce bears’ access to fruit trees and other non-natural attractants, whether in residential yards, downtown areas, or industrial settings. This may include such activities as picking fruit and distributing it to the food bank or local institutions and agencies. 8. Encourage residents and property owners to prune (or remove) shrubs and trees in order to reduce the cover available to bears in neighbourhoods.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 62 9. Educate residents on safe ways to carry out low-level hazing practices on their own properties, such as by banging pots and pans, using an air horn, or generally scaring bears away, but always—and only—from a safe vantage point.

For City Council 10. Maintain a high degree of coordination of Bear Smart-related practices and policies throughout the city, and urge the regional district to implement these in the adjacent regional district electoral areas (Beaver Creek, Cherry Creek, etc.). 11. In addition to the desire to increase safety for people and property, and support the intent of the BC Wildlife Act in not providing non-natural attractants to carnivores, another incentive for local governments to bear-proof their communities as much as possible could be the BC Occupiers Liability Act. I recommend the City have its legal department look into the possible ramifications of this legislation, which states:

BC OCCUPIERS LIABILITY ACT [RSBC 1996] CHAPTER 337 Application of Act 2. Subject to section 3 (4), and sections 4 and 9, this Act determines the care that an occupier is required to show toward persons entering on the premises in respect of dangers to them, or to their property on the premises, or to the property on the premises of persons who have not themselves entered on the premises, that are due to the state of the premises, or to anything done or omitted to be done on the premises, and for which the occupier is responsible by law.

Occupiers’ duty of care 3. (1) An occupier of premises owes a duty to take that care that in all the circumstances of the case is reasonable to see that a person, and the person's property, on the premises, and property on the premises of a person, whether or not that person personally enters on the premises, will be reasonably safe in using the premises.

For Schools, Community Use Areas, Parks, and Trails 12. Schools, public use areas (e.g., the library, Echo Centre, Penny Lane, Farmers Market, Harbour Quay, Victoria Quay), parks and walkways should ensure that all pedestrian-type garbage cans are bear-proof and are emptied frequently, particularly in locations adjacent to greenbelts, fish- bearing streams, etc., and in warm weather, when odours increase and more easily attract bears. 13. All dumpsters at schools and public use areas should be bear-proof and kept locked at all times. 14. Schools should ensure that all areas on school grounds have good visibility from school windows to playsets and playfields. Playsets at schools should be located close to school buildings and within clear view of school windows. 15. Schools should ensure that there are no landscaping plants or unfenced gardens and composters that will attract bears. 16. Have an in-school monitoring system so that any bears, cougars, or other predators in the vicinity are reported and children can be kept in or closely watched when outdoors.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 63 17. Playsets, whether at schools or in parks, should be located well away from dense shrubs, trees, and other things that obstruct visibility and that offer cover for bears. If they cannot be moved to at least 50 meters away from bear cover, they should be enclosed in a sturdy fence that is high enough to deter bears and that is spaced well away from adjacent vegetation. 18. In areas where bears have previously been observed, play areas should be posted with permanent bear warning signs. 19. Parks and public walkways should have signs about the importance of controlling dogs in bear habitat. 20. All public walkways and trails should be brushed out to improve visibility (e.g., along the railway tracks near Stamp Ave, in Maquinna Woods, etc.). If garbage cans are located on or adjacent to them, they should be bear-proof garbage cans and emptied regularly. 21. All public walkways and trails should be posted with small bear warning signs. 22. New public trails and walkways should not be developed along riparian corridors that bears are known to use. Existing walkways (e.g., Kitsuksis Walkway) should be posted with bear information signs. 23. Plans for new parks and trails should be thoroughly assessed for potential impacts on bear use areas in all seasons, including impacts that may be caused by increased human use of the area. 24. Port Alberni’s Parks Department should develop a procedure (if it doesn’t already have one) for emergency closure of parks, walkways, and other facilities, in cooperation with the District CO Service (and possibly the RCMP), when a hazardous wildlife-related situation is reported or identified.

For Waste Management 25. Consider bulk purchase of bear-proof residential garbage cans for distribution to city residents on an “at cost” basis. Bulk purchase helps to ensure that residents can afford the garbage cans AND that the equipment is consistent across the city to facilitate municipal garbage collection. 26. The primary recommendation for reducing hazards, including at schools, parks and trails, and residential neighbourhoods, is to install bear-proof garbage and recycling receptacles and a city- wide Bear Smart waste management system. 27. Port Alberni’s Parks Department should consider public education targeting the use of garbage bins and cans in parks and along walkways as being particularly unsuitable for household garbage. While this is recognised as an infraction of the municipal waste collection bylaw, and is acknowledged to be difficult to enforce, helping the public understand how this practice increases the possibility of “food-conditioning” bears and encourages bears to lurk near parks and walkways, and increases the likelihood of someone encountering a bear. 28. Consider bear-proof neighbourhood-based drop-off installations for suitable “hotspot” areas, particularly for housing complexes where people don’t have garages, sheds, or other secure places to store their garbage cans and recycling boxes. 29. Where secondary and “illegal” rental suites occur, require owners to allow tenants to use the city’s garbage collection system. 30. Bear-proof waste management practices and systems should be phased-in over a number of years (3 to 5) and be accompanied by a public education/information program, including public open houses where feedback is obtained that can help refine the system and increase compliance. 31. Recycling and compost depots should be inside a bear-proof enclosure. They should be regularly inspected to ensure garbage isn’t scattered on the ground.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 64 For Bylaws 32. Port Alberni should amend its Waste Collection bylaw, and encourage the regional district to do the same, to prevent people putting residential garbage cans out on the night before collection day. For residents who have good reasons why they can’t comply with the bylaw, consider alternatives that are amenable to both the resident and the city’s garbage collection staff. 33. Bylaws need to include all attractant issues, including landscaping plants that attract bears; the use of electric fences for gardens, fruit trees, and composters; and control of dogs on public walkways and trails that are located in bear-use areas. 34. Implement a zero-tolerance policy for enforcement/compliance of bylaws.

For the OCP and Future Development Plans 35. Develop a community vision statement that includes language to better coexist with bears that will result in greater public safety, reduced bear-people conflicts, and fewer bears being killed. 36. Review the OCP with the intent to amend it to include specific bear-friendly language. 37. New homes being developed adjacent to green spaces (including riparian corridors, rail and power lines, etc.) that are known to be used by bears, should consider installing perimeter fencing sturdy enough to deter bears. 38. Require multiple-dwelling and commercial complexes to include Bear Smart principles on waste management and landscaping in their strata council bylaws. 39. Community planning should include the development and use of a detailed bear habitat and travel corridor map so that bear (and other wildlife) concerns can be adequately addressed when planning new developments. 40. Inform developers about bear-safe requirements, including bear-proof garbage collection methods and landscaping requirements to prevent attracting bears into newly developed areas and thereby habituating them to human-use areas. 41. Ensure future planning and new developments are done according to Bear Smart principles at the earliest possible planning and design stages. 42. Pedestrian corridors should be located and designed to maintain separation between bear- and people-use areas, wherever possible. Safety considerations include type of landscaping plants used, visibility, bear-proof garbage cans, and use of temporary or permanent signage when bears are known to be in the area. 43. Ensure all municipal landscaping (including “streetscaping”) uses species and varieties of trees and shrubs—whether native or horticultural varieties—that do not provide food for bears (e.g., salal, Oregon grape, mountain ash, bearberry (uva-ursi), apples, cherries, roses, clover). See Appendix 6 for list. 44. Where the OCP or any development plans refer to riparian setbacks and habitat use corridors for fish, these terms should be defined and include specific recommendations to maintain safe separations between bear use areas (including travel corridors) and residential and commercial developments. This recommendation holds for all the development plans throughout the city. These recommendations are just that. Local circumstances may be such that modifications are quite acceptable to the Bear Smart Community Program and the achievement of Bear Smart Community status. People have a strong tendency to resist change. Time and consultation—and in some cases, compromise—will help the city to develop a plan that enables it to become Bear Smart.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 65 5.0 CONCLUSION Like so many communities carved out of south coast forests, Port Alberni has many forested nooks and crannies, even a few with remnants of large, old 2nd-growth trees and dense understorey replete with bear foods such as salal, huckleberries, salmonberries, Oregon grape, various fungi, and the ubiquitous invader, Armenian blackberry. Many of these nooks are adjacent to fish-bearing creeks, some now dry, some buried under development, and some—thanks to the enhancement efforts of many volunteers— still sporting annual runs of salmon (albeit reduced from historical numbers). The valley Port Alberni now occupies has been prime black bear habitat for many thousands of years. As a species, black bears have a high capacity to learn and remember, and exhibit tolerance of humans. People, however, have low tolerance for bears. They have a general perception that bears are dangerous. Indeed, bears do represent potential safety risks to people and property. Public tolerance for black bears, however, is increasing. People are starting to learn that it is possible to co-exist with black bears when certain “rules” are maintained. This report sets out what those rules are in the hope that we can all work to maintain a sustainable local environment, as well as reduce the number of bears that are destroyed In the past, authorities either killed a bear that came into conflict with people or moved it to an area away from human settlement. When a bear is destroyed because it has become habituated to non-natural attractants, another bear will soon take its place. Relocating and destroying bears are reactive measures that do little to prevent conflicts between bears and people, and don’t teach bears or people anything about learning to live in relative harmony with each other. We now know there are more proactive ways to reduce the potential risks associated with people living in “Bear Country” and to reduce the negative effects on Conservation Officers drag carcass of bear that was bear populations by providing artificial attractants destroyed when it came into conflict with people. This (e.g., garbage) to bears and by continually moving or reactive measure is one the Bear Smart Community destroying bears. Program can help prevent. BC Conservation Officer Service photo. The Bear Smart Community Program has been designed specifically to increase safety for both people and bears, and to enhance our own experience of living in harmony with the other animals that share our environment. It’s important to consider that the City of Port Alberni “is not an island.” Any bear-people conflict reduction efforts by the city, while commendable, have great potential to be thwarted by lack of effort in the surrounding areas. Movements of bears into and through the city are through the regional district settlements of Beaver Creek, Beaufort, Cherry Creek, China Creek, Sproat Lake, the area around McCoy Lake, the area north of the city on the western flank of Mt. Arrowsmith, and the Hupacasath and Tseshaht Indian Reserves along the Somass River. Until quite recently, some of these areas were covered by older second-growth forest, which offered shelter and denning areas (at the very least) for bears.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 66 The remaining areas are largely agricultural and rural settlements, and have been for many decades. Reports on the province’s Wildlife Occurrence database show that these areas, too, have been experiencing an increase in bear-people conflicts. While there is a steady influx of new residents to some of these areas, many of whom have moved from highly urbanised environments and are not accustomed to encountering wildlife such as bears, long-time residents here express few official concerns about problems with bears (except those who have livestock). Local government representatives from at least two of these areas have publicly stated that their residents “know how to deal with the situation. They see a bear, they shoot it. No problem.” Other local government representatives, especially in those areas seeing the most new residents from “outside,” have explicitly stated their support for a public education program on how to prevent bear-people conflicts. Only time will tell if the Alberni Valley will have an integrated program to successfully address the situation. The information contained in this report can be used to enhance Port Alberni’s desire to be recognised as a tourism destination, and in this respect, has important economic, as well as environmental and sustainability ramifications. When this preliminary bear hazard assessment report has been accepted by City Council, Port Alberni will have completed the work required in Phase I of the Bear Smart Community Program. When the City formalises public education and monitoring activities in the city, develops a bear-proof waste management system that includes enforcement mechanisms, includes Bear Smart language in planning documents (including the City’s Official Community Plan), and completes a Bear-Human Conflict Management Plan, they will be well on their way to completing Phase II of the program and can be designated a Bear Smart Community.

The preferred picture is one in which black bears and people can appreciate and respect each other’s needs to thrive in safety for both species. BC Conservation Officer Service photo.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 67 6.0 EXPLANATORY NOTES 6.1 Ecosystem Classification Systems The Ecoregion Classification System was developed to provide a systematic view of ecological relationships in BC. This classification system is based on climatic processes and landforms, and brings into focus the extent of critical habitats and their relationship with adjacent areas. Largely developed by Dennis A. Demarchi and others in both Canada and the US, it was adopted by the Wildlife Branch in 1985 to serve as a framework for recognizing small-scale ecosystems in British Columbia. Ecoregion classification helps us to understand and depict the great habitat diversity of BC. The system is used to stratify BC’s terrestrial and marine ecosystem complexity into discrete geographical units at five different levels. The two highest levels—Ecodomains and Ecodivisions—are very broad and place British Columbia globally. The three lowest levels—Ecoprovinces, Ecoregions, and Ecosections—are progressively more detailed and narrow in scope, and relate segments of the province to one another. They describe areas of similar climate, physiography, oceanography, hydrology, vegetation, and wildlife potential (http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/ecology/ecoregions/). Within each terrestrial ecoregion, climatic zones occur where specific soils, plant and animal communities, and aquatic systems develop because of the interaction of climate with the land surface and surficial materials. These zones are best defined within the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification system (see below). Since 1985, the Ecoregion Classification system has been revised three times to reflect more detailed mapping. The fourth edition of Ecoregion units was originally mapped at 1:250,000 using Landsat, topographic, biogeoclimatic, and marine ecosystem information. Biogeoclimatic zones are a Ministry of Forests classification system, largely developed to its current state by V. Krajina, K. Klinka, D. Meidinger, J. Pojar, and others. See map on following page. The Coastal Western Hemlock zone (which covers most of the study area of this report) occurs along the entire coast of British Columbia at elevations from sea level up to about 900 metres above sea level (asl) in the south. Using both classification systems together enables a progressively more detailed description and understanding, of the ecological potential and processes of a given location (www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/biogeo/biogeo.htm). Understanding these classification systems is important to understanding how to use habitats in a sustainable way so that the wildlife and habitats that our social systems value can be maintained. Understanding them also enables us to see how the various animal species interact with the habitats. When we learn that soil nutrients, for example, in addition to climate and topography, play a major role in the development of habitats, and further learn about the nutrient cycling enabled by interactions between bears, salmon, and forest ecosystems, we can better appreciate the value of this species (see Appendix 7).

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 68 Figure 15. Ministry of Forests map of Biogeoclimatic Zones. The area shaded dark green indicates Coastal Western Hemlock zone. The light purple interspersed within it indicates the Mountain Hemlock zone that occurs at higher elevations; and the light grey indicates the Alpine Tundra zone, which occurs at the highest elevations.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 69 6.2 Waste Management Companies and Equipment An important research step was to look at how other communities have been successful—or not—at reducing bear-people conflicts through the use of certain types of equipment and approaches to bear- proofing food attractants. Bear biologist Wayne McCrory developed community models for bear- proofing garbage and recycling collection methods. Please keep in mind that the success of any model is dependent on the specific characteristics on the local area. Some are more conducive to centralised neighbourhood-types of waste management solutions and some are more successful using individual residence/commercial garbage containment. The most successful models he found in western Canada were at Furry Creek, south of Squamish, and at Canmore (see Appendix 12) and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Alberta. These involved modifications of a central drop-off system, and most used Haul-All equipment. A strength of this type of system is that it consolidates garbage and recycling in centralised locations that can be fenced to keep bears out. A major drawback is that users require transportation to get their garbage and recycling to the drop-off stations. Whistler offered only partial results due to problems with some of their bear-proofing. The North Shore area of Vancouver offered insights into the limitations of plastic household bins for curbside pick-up, even with strong enforcement of the curbside bylaw. One of the most successful models for residential garbage collection found to date is in the US town of Vail, Colorado, a well-known winter recreation destination (see Appendix 12). Central “One-Stop” Drop-off Depots for Recycling and Garbage One option is to install “one-stop” centralised drop-off depots for both garbage and recycling materials. This is the system that has been used by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) since about 1996. At that time, RMOW decided not to implement a residential garbage collection service because of concerns about wildlife, snow removal, and population fluctuations. Instead, two central “one stop” garbage/recycling depots were established, one at Nesters and the other at Function Junction. People bring their garbage to either depot, where it is compacted. In 1998, the compactor sites accounted for about 10% of RMOW’s total waste (Whistler Black Bear Task Team 1998). However, this system has only proven to be partially effective in reducing garbage feeding by bears in Whistler. Problems with this system identified by the Whistler Bear Task Team in 1998 persist today and are considered to be the prime “loopholes” in a system that still allows access to garbage and other artificial foodstuffs by bears (McCrory 2005). The problems with this system (as currently in operation in RMOW) include: a) Residents who do not own a car have difficulty taking their garbage to the depots since some live a fair distance away and can’t take their garbage by bus. Some are forced to store their garbage on their balconies for short and long periods, which attracts bears. This contributes to a fair number of the bear complaints in Whistler annually. Despite suggesting that a 1-800 pick-up service be implemented, this has never been put in place. In 2005, the Whistler Bear Working Group decided to have Haul-All come in an study the strategic locations for neighbourhood dumpsters to address this problem. b) Garbage is left piled in the depot while the compactors are hauled away to be emptied.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 70 c) Because the sites are not bear-proofed, bears still obtain food at them. In 2005, I observed on two occasions where black bears were taking plastics from the large plastics recycling bins into the adjacent woods. In 2005, the Bear Response Officer reported that one of the compactor sites was “a regular bear buffet with bears learning to open the doors, garbage being left outside, etc. Also, recycling at these sites was not treated as garbage and the bears regularly attacked recycling bins” (because of food odours and food residue, such cooking oil, not having been rinsed off recycled materials). Placing garbage compactors at recycling depots appears to be a viable option, provided the above- mentioned problems are adequately addressed. Commercial metal dumpsters Universal Equipment Handling dumpsters Most of this company’s metal dumpsters are not bear-proof. Even if all of them were designed to be bear-proof, they have serious problems that defeat any bear-proofing investment and public education by communities because they are not sturdy enough to resist the strength of black bears bending up the corners of the lids; the latches also have chronic malfunction problems. This was well-documented in Wayne McCrory’s Bear Hazard report for Whistler (McCrory 2004) where, in 1998, some 360 commercial dumpsters were installed. Even though the Whistler Bear Task Team worked closely with the local waste management provider to improve these large metal bins to make them more bear-proof, site surveys in 2004 showed many of the bins were still not being properly maintained in as bear-proof a condition as possible. After a full 2005 field season of dealing with bear problems in Whistler, the Bear Response Officer considered the dumpsters not sturdy enough to be consistently bear-proof and gave this report: [these] bins [seem to be] .... an attempt to rebuild a system that works with a system that is cheaper. The only problem is that these bins are easier to flip, they move, the lids malfunction on a regular basis and require repairs, the lids are being pulled open, latches don't always work... then there is this issue of the carabiner locking the lid to the body, the drivers have a bad habit of not relocking it. During field surveys in 2005, McCrory also observed malfunctioning lids on this company’s bear-proof type bins in Britannia Beach Development and at Furry Creek. Bylaw Services from Whistler recently visited Canmore and is now having Haul-All do a survey in Whistler to determine the placement, viability, and costs of neighbourhood bins in each of the various subdivisions at locations that are accessible to both pedestrians and people with vehicles.

Haul-All Equipment Systems This company has the best track record of any that were researched, including long term success in a number of provincial and national parks (Pacific Rim, Banff, Jasper), in the Town of Canmore, and in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in Alberta. In 1997, Canmore implemented both a curbside and neighbourhood communal waste collection system, but curbside collection proved to be problematic with bears during a poor berry year in1998. After this, the community went through an intensive public review process to consider a neighbourhood drop off system using Haul-All bear-proof dumpsters. One of the problems was that some residents were opposed to having dumpsters placed on streets in front of their homes. The public review process greatly assisted the municipality in gaining acceptance of the new system. In May 1999, the curbside collection system was eliminated and the residents of Canmore had the communal waste containers only. Throughout that summer, the success of the completely animal-proof waste-handling system became evident. There were several sightings of bears in and around Canmore ,but there were zero bear/waste incidents in 1999 and 2000. This is a model of what other areas should consider implementing to replace their current non-bear-proof garbage pick-up

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 71 systems. A neighbourhood communal waste management system using Haul-All (or equivalent) equipment has a high start-up cost, compared to cheaper dumpsters, but their equipment is sturdy and has longevity that pays off over time, both in its “bearproofness” and cost-reductions due to reduced maintenance. Haul-All equipment, including single and double garbage bins, dumpsters, and various types of automated trucks, are serviced and supplied in the South Coast/Lower Mainland region of BC by Rollins Machinery Ltd. (aka Bear-Proof Containers: www.bearproofcontainers.com) in Langley, BC.

Single household-size garbage receptacles There are a variety of totes, or plastic bins on the market, some of which have been tested and some of which have dubious effectiveness. One effective product is provided by Rollins Machinery in Langley, BC (photo right). This tote is manufactured by IPL Industries of Quebec using a process that gives exceedingly good strength. When fitted with the metal latch hardware manufactured by Solid Waste Systems of Parker Colorado to make it bearproof, it passes the grizzly bear test at the IGBC facility in Montana. This latch is a type of “hook-and-eye” contraption that requires a degree of manual dexterity to use, and can be particularly difficult in cold weather or by people who don’t have fairly strong, well-coordinated hands. Rollins has recently re-designed the latching system, but I have yet to see it in operation. Rollins provided the following information: 1 bear-resistant IPL tote costs $169 plus delivery and taxes. 1 non- bearproof tote costs $90, etc. An order for 5,000 bear-resistant IPL totes would bring the unit cost down to between $135 and $150, depending on the fluctuating price of crude oil. Such an order could be filled in between 2-3 months. An improved polycart is available from BearSaver (photo left; see Table 8 and printouts in Appendix 10). This sturdy tote (of which I have been successfully using two samples at my home here in Port Alberni in an interface area that has bears living in it) has an easy- to-use mechanism to unlatch and is re-latched simply by dropping the lid. BearSaver is a US company based in Ontario, California, and will make any bear-proof container to suit. Their 32-gallon rolling polycart has steel-reinforced side rails, back corners and lid, and features a push-to-close latching system designed for manual and semi- automated collection systems where the lid is easily unlatched by garbage collection personnel. I have tested this cart at my home in the Alberni Valley, where we previously had bears get into our garbage, and it has effectively stopped them. Importantly, the city personnel providing manual pickup in my neighbourhood have no problem using this cart. List prices for the black bear model (minimum order is 20 units): Qty 20-299 $121.44 each; Qty 300-999 $115.21; Qty 1000- 4999 $110.54; Qty 5000+ $105.87. A number of other companies in Canada and the US are actively engaged in designing truly bear-proof residential bins. The problem with most of these household type totes, however, is that even if they are fitted with bear-proofing hardware, they still require the latches to be kept properly secured while sitting outdoors at households; surely some people will forget to do this or leave them unsecured on purpose so children and people with manual dexterity problems can more easily use them. Most also require owners to remove or open the latches on the day they leave the bins out curbside for emptying. This is the weak link in this chain and significantly reduces the effectiveness of a bear-proof residential waste

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 72 management system. One company, Bear Necessities, of Alberta, has designed a rollout cart that has a large knob on the lid that is turned to open the latch. While this model has passed the grizzly bear tests for sturdiness, there is concern that (a) the knob is difficult to turn for some people and children, (b) the complex mechanism under the lid has greater potential to break down, especially in freezing weather, and (c) municipal or contracted garbage collectors will find it too time-consuming to use. The City of Coquitlam is currently running a year-long trial of three models of household bins: the BearSaver model, the Rollins model, and the Bear Necessities model; all in the 32-gallon capacity range. The results of this trial will be invaluable in helping other municipalities decide on which type of bin to recommend (or provide) to residents. Another consideration is that during hot summer weather, bins will gather a week’s smelly garbage and still attract bears to households, especially where people continue to store the bins outdoors. In Whistler and the North Shore, these types of totes are called “Meals on Wheels” by the Conservation Officers who deal with the bear problems associated with them. The Living With Wildlife Foundation (LWWF) is a US charitable organisation formed in 2003 to assist communities and wildlife agencies in identifying sources of human/wildlife conflict and creating effective, practical, and affordable solutions. They test products primarily for their ability to resist grizzly bears, and consider that surpasses the requirements to resist black bears. Contact them at PO Box 1152, Swan Valley, Montana 59826, Patti Sowka, Executive Director; 406-754-0010; email: [email protected]; website: www.lwwf.org. If your municipality, agency, or organisation wants to know the bottom line about how effective any of this garbage container equipment is for deterring bears, please contact them. In a recent conversation with Patti Sowka, she agreed with me that since the vast majority of US and Canadian users of this equipment only need to deter black bears, it makes sense to devise a series of tests to determine effectiveness with black bears only, and not the more rigorous strength required for normally heavier grizzly bears. This may result in a higher number of products passing their tests and being qualified for areas that have only black bears, and also help keep costs as low as possible, since products approved to resist black bears may likely cost less than heavier, stronger products designed to resist grizzly bears.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 73 7.0 LIST OF CONTACTS • Wayne McCrory, RPBio, Bear Biologist, New Denver, BC • Mike Badry, Wildlife Conflicts Prevention Coordinator, BC Environment Ministry • Sean Sharpe, RPBio, Wildlife Biologist, BC Environment Ministry, Smithers, BC • Helen Davis, RPBio, Artemis Wildlife Consultants • Ben York, District Conservation Officer, Alberni • Mike Stern, Conservation Officer, Alberni • Steve Ackles, Conservation Officer, Nanaimo Zone • Bob and Ann Collins, farmers and campground operators, Arrowvale Farm • Ken Watson, City Manager • Russell Dyson, City Clerk • Jacob Colyn, Parks Operations Supervisor/Horticulturist, City of Port Alberni • Jack Payne, Bylaw Enforcement Officer, City of Port Alberni • Cara Foden, Mapping and Planning Technician, City of Port Alberni • Randy Fraser, Streets Superintendent, Engineering Department, City of Port Alberni • Drew Hadfield, Manager, Environmental Services, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District • Lori Wilson, Computer and Mapping Technician, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District • Crystal McMillan, Supervisor for Vancouver Island, BC Conservation Corps • Steve Thompson, Director of Marketing & Sales, BearSaver • Vic and Jeff Rollins, Rollins Machinery Limited (sells Haul-All and other equipment) • John Nesbitt, Wastelines Containers, Abbotsford • Drake Stephens, Bear Aware Coordinator for City of Coquitlam • Sandra (last name not given), Tenant Liaison, M’akola Housing, a non-profit society with three housing developments located in various areas in Port Alberni • Principals, vice-principals, and other staff in all city schools (SD #70 Alberni) • Al Ross, Wildlife Manager, Hupacasath First Nation • Aaron Hamilton, Director of Operations, Hupacasath First Nation • Rita LaJeunesse, Port Alberni resident • Frank Stini, Port Alberni resident • Patti Sowka, Living With Wildlife Foundation, Swan Valley, Montana • Detective Ryan Millbern, Police Department, Vail, Colorado • Sylvia Dolson, Get Bear Smart Society, Whistler • Bryan Peterson, Bear Smart Program Developer, Durango, Colorado • City residents who choose to remain anonymous

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 74 8.0 LITERATURE CITED AND REFERENCES Reports BC Ministry of Environment. Dec 2002, Third Ed. Bear-People Conflict Prevention Plan for Parks and Protected Areas in British Columbia. Victoria, BC; pp. 73. BC Ministry of Forests. 1991. Special Report Series 6: Ecosystem of British Columbia. Victoria, BC Ciarniello, L.M. 1997. Reducing Human-Bear Conflicts: Solutions Through Better Management of Non- Natural Foods. Report prepared for the BC Ministry of Environment, Lands & Parks, Bear-Human Conflict Committee; pp. 139, including appendices. Davis, Helen. 1996. MSc Thesis: Characteristics and Selection of Winter Dens by Black Bears in Coastal British Columbia. Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Bc; pp. 165. Davis, H.; D. Wellwood; and L. Ciarniello. 2002. “Bear Smart” Community Program: Background Report. BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. Victoria. McCrory, W., 2006. Bear Hazard Assessment and Problem Analysis. Phase I Application for Bear Smart Community Status: District Municipalities of North & West Vancouver & City of North Vancouver; pp. 170. McCrory, Wayne. August 2004. Preliminary Bear Hazard Assessment of Resort Municipality of Whistler, McCrory Wildlife Services Ltd. New Denver, BC. pp. 110 McCrory, W., and M. Paquet. 2006. Bear Hazard Assessment and Bear-People Conflict Prevention Plan for District of Squamish, BC. Squamish and New Denver. 81 pages plus appendices. Meidinger, Del; and Jim Pojar (compilers/editors). February 1991. Ecosystems of British Columbia, BC Ministry of Forests, Victoria and Smithers, pp. 13. Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. June 2003. Wildlife-Human Conflict Prevention Strategy. pp. 29 (no other attribution) Paquet, M. 2005. Bear Hazard Assessment Report: Village of Lions Bay, BC. Port Alberni; pp. 31, plus maps and appendices. Paquet, M. 2006. Bear Hazard Assessment Report: Sunshine Coast Regional District. Port Alberni; pp 76, plus maps and appendices. Paquet, M. 2007. Bear Hazard Assessment Report: City of Coquitlam, British Columbia. Port Alberni; pp. 81, plus maps and appendices. Pojar, J., and A. MacKinnon, et al. 1994. Plants of Coastal British Columbia. BC Ministry of Forests (Victoria) & Lone Pine Publishing (Edmonton and Vancouver); pp. 527. Sharpe, S., and B. Duffell. Nov 1995. Resolving Bear-Human Conflicts: An Analysis of Translocation and Survey of Bear-Related Issues as Management Tools, Wildlife Branch, BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria, BC Turner, Nancy J. 1975. Food Plants of British Columbia Indians: Part 1—Coastal Peoples. British Columbia Provincial Museum Handbook No. 34. Prov. of BC, Victoria, pp. 264. Wellwood, Debbie. 2001. Hazard Assessment of Bear-Human Conflict in Stewart, British Columbia— Phase 1, Raven Ecological Services, Smithers, BC.

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 75 Websites BC Ministry of Forests online resources: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/biogeo/biogeo.htm; accessed 21 Oct 2006 BC Ministry of Environment online resources: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/cos/info/wildlife_human_interaction/strategy.pdf. [The title on the document is Wildlife–Human Conflict Prevention Strategy (June 2003)]; accessed 21 Mar 2006 http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/cos/info/wildlife_human_interaction/docs/bears.html; accessed 23 Mar 2006 http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/ecology/ecoregions/; accessed 30 Oct 2006 http://env.gov.bc.ca/ecology/ecoregions/humidtemp.html; accessed 30 Oct 2006 http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/atrisk/toolintro.html; accessed 30 Oct 2006 http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/habitat/fish_protection_act/riparian/riparian_areas.html; accessed 30 Oct 2006 BC Parks website: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/; accessed 30 Oct 2006 www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/); accessed 30 Oct 2006 http://www.hupacasath.ca/ http://www.hupacasath.ca/treaty/background.html http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/; accessed 24 Feb 2007 http://www.bearsinbc.com/pages/01black/01research.html; accessed 23 Mar 2007 www.smartgrowth.bc.ca; accessed 30 Oct 2006 http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben328.html (Dr. A. Ceska) —second article titled “Marine and Terrestrial Ecosystem Linkages: The major role of salmon and bears to riparian communities” (from T.E. Reimchen, Dept. Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC; accessed 3 Nov 2006. http://web.uvic.ca/~reimlab/dankl/Klinka.html —Article titled “Diurnal and nocturnal foraging behaviour of coastal bears,” D. Klinka, Dept. Biology, Univ. of Victoria; accessed 3 Nov 2006. Community Mapping Network (for Port Alberni locator map on p. 5): http://www.shim.bc.ca/mapbuilder/default.cfm; accessed 30 Oct 2006; and http://www.shim.bc.ca/atlases/; accessed 30 Oct 2006 Get Bear Smart Society (formerly JJ Whistler Bear Society), Whistler, BC: www.getbearsmart.com; accessed 2 Mar 2007 City of Port Alberni website: http://www.city.port-alberni.bc.ca/, waste management: http://www.city.port-alberni.bc.ca/CityHall/Engineering/index.htm and the link to the heritage section: www.alberniheritage.com/mill/; accessed 18 Nov 2006 Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District website: www.acrd.bc.ca; accessed 31 Oct 2006

Port Alberni Bear Hazard Assessment November 2007 76